[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 111 (Wednesday, July 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           35TH YEAR OF THE DIVISION AND OCCUPATION OF CYPRUS

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise in commemoration of a deeply tragic 
anniversary for the Cypriot-American community, their friends and 
relatives in Cyprus, and for the respect of human rights and 
international law. Thirty-five years ago this week, the armed forces of 
Turkey violated the sovereignty and territory of the Republic of Cyprus 
by illegally invading and occupying the north of the island state.
  The international community, speaking through resolution after 
resolution by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, 
has since 1974 called for an end to the division of Cyprus and the 
return of refugees to their homes. Yet three and a half decades later, 
the military occupation of one third of our close and consistent ally's 
territory by Turkey remains an intolerable reality.
  There are more than 43,000 Turkish troops on Cyprus--that is 
approximately one Turkish soldier for every two Turkish Cypriots. The 
occupation, expropriation, transfer and destruction of Greek Cypriot-
owned property in the north of the island proceeds unabated. Indeed, an 
estimated 7,000 to 10,000 U.S. citizens of Cypriot descent have claims 
to such properties. So too continues the wanton desecration of Greek 
Orthodox churches and religious artifacts that are not only sacred to 
hundreds of millions of faithful believers, but beautiful and historic 
sites and objects of inherent cultural value to all of humanity.
  Despite a generation of suffering such injustices, the Greek Cypriot 
community continues to demonstrate remarkable magnanimity in seeking a 
fair solution to the division of the island. Like many Hellenic-
Americans, I applauded Cypriot President Demetris Cristofias' effort to 
restart the process of reuniting the island by directly engaging the 
Turkish Cypriot leadership. Although little progress has been made 
toward resolving the most significant issues--most notably the 
disposition of Greek Cypriots' property and the presence of Turkish 
troops--after 36 meetings in ten months of direct negotiations, 
President Cristofias remains committed to continuing his talks with 
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
  An additional cause for hope came this past April, when the European 
Court of Justice ruled that a judgment of a court in the Republic of 
Cyprus must be recognized and enforced by the other EU member states 
even if it concerns land situated in the Turkish occupied areas of 
Cyprus. This ruling confirms the international right of Greek Cypriots 
who were forced from their property by the Turkish occupation to seek 
relief against those who later made use of the property illegally, 
providing not only a measure of justice to those able to pursue such a 
claim, but providing valuable leverage to the Republic's government in 
resolving the overall property issue.
  These developments should strengthen our commitment in Congress to 
ensuring that the United States stands by its steadfast ally, the 
Republic of Cyprus, to achieve a resolution to the tragic division of 
the island that is fair to Greek Cypriots. As was conclusively 
demonstrated by the wholly justified rejection of the Annan Plan by 
Greek Cypriots in 2004, the Cyprus question is one that can only be 
resolved through mutual agreement on a solution, not the imposition of 
one. In the context of the current talks, that means the United States 
must encourage Turkey to give the leader of the Turkish Cypriot 
community the leeway and authority to negotiate a solution that is 
truly in the interests of the communities on the island, rather than 
seeking to continue its military presence.
  The vocal support of the United States for a fair, freely negotiated 
outcome between the communities is as much a moral as it is a 
geopolitical necessity, given that it is not just the rights of the 
Greek Cypriot community that are at stake, but our solemn role as a 
nation that champions human rights and adherence to the rule of law. I 
therefore urge my colleagues to join me today in bearing witness to the 
35 years of injustice wreaked upon the people of the Republic of 
Cyprus, and in recommitting ourselves to the urgent task of fairly and 
finally reuniting the island.

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