[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 13, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           37TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2011

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the dark 
anniversary of July 20, 1974, when Turkish military troops illegally 
invaded the sovereign nation of Cyprus.
  In the gray pre-dawn hours, heavily armed Turkish troops began the 
military operation named ``Operation Atilla'', implementing their 
strategy of ``clearing'' the territory in northern Cyprus, a community 
whose population was previously 80 percent Greek Cypriot.
  As a result of these attacks, violent conflict erupted and over five 
thousand Greek Cypriots were estimated to have been killed; an 
additional sixteen hundred Greek Cypriots were reported missing; and 
over two hundred thousand Greek Cypriots were forcefully expelled from 
their homes.
  Unfortunately, this tragedy which began that morning of July 20 
continues today, as over 43,000 Turkish military troops occupy almost 
40 percent of Cyprus' territory.
  That amounts to one Turkish soldier for every two Turkish-Cypriots.
  During the thirty-seven years the Turkish military has occupied 
northern Cyprus, illegal immigrants from Turkey flood into northern 
Cyprus, with some reports indicating at least 800 illegal migrants each 
year.
  In total since 1974, this influx has resulted in more than 160,000 
Turkish mainland illegal immigrants settling in the occupied territory, 
to the extent that these settlers now outnumber indigenous Turkish-
Cypriots two to one.
  Many claim that these immigrants are ``encouraged'' to settle in 
Cyprus by the Turkish government as part of a cynical strategy to alter 
the demographic statistics on the island and gain more property in any 
eventual settlement.
  In addition, under the Turkish occupation, hundreds of religious and 
cultural sites have been desecrated.
  Icons, manuscripts, frescoes and mosaics have been looted from Greek 
Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Maronite and Jewish religious 
sites in northern Cyprus.
  Over five hundred Orthodox churches or chapels have been demolished 
or vandalized.
  Seventy-seven churches have even been converted into mosques, twenty-
eight churches are being used by the Turkish military as hospitals or 
camps, and thirteen churches have been turned into barns.
  For thirty seven years, the Cypriot people have endured conflict, 
division and foreign occupation.
  It is long past time for their liberation.
  The United Nations Security Council has passed seventy-five separate 
resolutions calling for Turkey to allow Greek Cypriots to return to 
their homes and to withdraw its troops from Cyprus.
  In 1976, 1983 and again in 2009, the European Court of Human Rights 
ruled that Turkey was illegally occupying Cyprus and must return all 
seized properties to their Greek Cypriot owners.
  Yet, to date Turkey continues to ignore such condemnations of its 
actions.
  Meanwhile, two generations of Cypriot youth have now grown up knowing 
no other reality than the division of their homeland, the segregation 
of their people, the militarization of part of their country by foreign 
troops, and the ever present threat of another outbreak of violence.
  Many have, or are beginning to, abandon hope of a peaceful 
settlement.
  Unfortunately, the limited progress achieved in the reunification 
talks since 2008 heightens this general sense of despair.
  In fact, a few weeks ago U.N. Special Advisor for Cyprus Alexander 
Downer even stated, ``It could not go any slower without stopping 
altogether. The last three months have been the worst three months 
we've ever had since these negotiations began.''
  This lack of constructive movement can be directly attributed to the 
behind-the-scenes interference from Ankara and the new hard-line 
representative from the Turkish community, Dr. Dervish Eroglu.
  It is apparent that there are some both in Turkey and in the 
leadership of the Turkish-Cypriot community who believe that continued 
obstruction of the talks serves their best interests by garnering 
domestic political support.
  I would argue that such a mercenary approach to these talks in fact 
prevents the Turkish-Cypriot people from attaining that which is in 
their long-term best interests.
  Until there is the reunification of the country, the Turkish-Cypriot 
community cannot fully benefit from the economic and social benefits 
derived from Cyprus' membership in the European Union.
  As a result, Turkish-Cypriots endure a far lower standard of living, 
reduced foreign direct investment, and other limitations on their 
overall development.
  Therefore, I urge the representatives of the Turkish-Cypriot 
community to promote their own community's interests rather than their 
own by working for reunification of the island.
  In that regard, I was encouraged by the recent pledge by both 
parties, President Dimitris Christofias and Dr. Dervish Eroglu, to 
commit once more to the talks with the aim of making substantial 
progress this year.
  In order for these talks to succeed however, Turkey must grant the 
Turkish-Cypriot community full autonomy in the reunification 
negotiations and to publicly commit to abiding by any terms agreed upon 
in a Cypriot developed reunification agreement.
  That includes the full, permanent withdrawal of its troops of 
occupation from Cyprus.
  I will continue to do what I can in my role in Congress to support 
such reunification efforts, until that long-awaited day when the next 
generation of Cypriot youth realize the hopes of their predecessors for 
a sovereign Cyprus--independent, unified, and at peace.

                          ____________________