[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 111 (Wednesday, July 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF TURKEY'S INVASION OF CYPRUS

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 16, 2014

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, July 20th, will mark the 40th 
anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the island of Cyprus. This is not a 
happy anniversary, Mr. Speaker. It marks 40 years of invasion, 
occupation, and the forcible division of Cyprus. The time has come to 
end this tragic conflict, which the people of Cyprus have endured for 
far too long.
  Thousands of Greek Cypriots are still being denied their fundamental 
human right to return to their homes because of Turkey's continuing 
occupation of northern Cyprus. Greek Cypriot properties are constantly 
being illegally confiscated or sold without their owners' consent. 
Turkish troops remain stationed on the island, and thousands of 
colonists from mainland Turkey have been moved to this occupied area. 
Freedom of worship is severely restricted, access to religious sites 
blocked, religious sites continue to be systematically destroyed, and 
large numbers of religious and archaeological objects stolen.
  Turkey continues to obstruct the process to determine the fate of 
missing persons--military and civilian--since the 1974 invasion. It 
prohibits the exhumation of remains from mass graves that are located 
in areas that Turkey has classified as ``military areas,'' even when 
such a process would take place under the supervision of the United 
Nations. On this grave and poignant humanitarian matter, I urge the 
U.S. government to exert its influence over Turkey, allow these 
exhumations to take place so that the bodies in mass graves might be 
identified, and so that families may finally, after 40 years, be 
allowed to grieve the loss of their loved ones and respectfully lay 
their remains to rest. This is not too much to ask of any government, 
anywhere in the world.
  I applaud the fact that the Cyprus Government remains fully committed 
to the U.N.-sponsored process to reach a sustainable and enduring 
settlement that would reunify Cyprus based on a bizonal, bi-communal 
federation, in accordance with relevant U.N. Security Council 
resolutions. I hope the United States will continue to press the 
Government of Turkey to move forward with advancing confidence-building 
measures and initiatives to achieve a final, just and lasting 
settlement to reunite Cyprus.

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