[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2008

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the 34th 
Anniversary of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus and to commemorate this 
tragedy for the Greek Cypriot people.
  The 34th commemoration of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus serves to 
remind all freedom-loving people to solemnly remember the 1974 Turkish 
military invasion of the island of Cyprus, to mourn those who lost 
their lives in the invasion, and to condemn the ongoing Turkish 
occupation. For the past 34 years, Cyprus has endured the illegal 
military occupation of more than one third of its territory by the 
Turkish armed forces, in violation of a number of U.N. Security Council 
resolutions. However, both the U.S. and the Cypriot governments remain 
committed to achieving a peaceful resolution of this dispute through 
diplomatic negotiations.
  However, the strong U.S.-Cyprus relationship is not just based on a 
shared interest in ending the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, but also on 
the fact that the U.S. and Cyprus share a deep and abiding commitment 
to upholding the ideals of freedom, democracy, justice, human rights, 
and the international rule of law. The U.S. and the rest of the 
international community have a moral and ethical obligation to stand 
with Cypriots to reunify their island and end the Turkish military 
occupation.
  Cyprus's goal is the reunification of the island as a bicommunal and 
bizonal federation that will protect the human rights and fundamental 
freedoms of all Cypriots, but also implement a prompt withdrawal of 
Turkish occupation forces. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias is 
committed to negotiating a just, viable solution to the Cyprus problem 
on the basis of U.N. Security Council Resolutions, the High Level 
Agreements of 1977 and 1979, as well as the values and principles on 
which the European Union was founded.
  I urge my colleagues in the U.S. Congress to take note of the 34-year 
anniversary of the violent invasion that brutally divided the island 
nation of Cyprus, and to encourage Turkish Cypriot leaders to negotiate 
in good faith with their Greek Cypriot counterparts, settle this 
dispute, and develop a plan for reunification that addresses the 
serious concerns of all Cypriots. The reunification of the island 
nation remains a priority for this Congress and for the international 
community. On this anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, we 
mourn the deaths of those killed in the invasion and the lost 
opportunities for reunification over the years, and we look forward to 
a future of a reunited and peaceful Cyprus.

                          ____________________