[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     CYPRUS BELONGS TO ALL CYPRIOTS

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, as I have done every year I rise again 
today to declare my fierce objection to the 26-year occupation of the 
Island of Cyprus by Turkish troops and to express my grave concern for 
the future of the area.
  In July of 1974 Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, seized 37 percent of 
the island, killed 5,000 people and brutally expelled 200,000 Greek 
Cypriots from their homes. A quarter of a century later, 1,400 of these 
people, including 4 Americans, still remain unaccounted for.
  For the past 26 years, Cyprus has been divided by the green line, a 
113 mile barbed wire fence that runs across the island. Greek Cypriots 
are prohibited from visiting the towns and communities where their 
families have lived for generations. With 35,000 Turkish troops 
illegally stationed on the island, it is one of the most militarized 
areas in the world.
  The illegal nature of the Turkish aggression and the brutality with 
which it was conducted aroused the indignation of the entire 
international community. The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of 
Northern Cyprus remains a pariah in the international community with no 
nation, except Turkey, recognizing its legitimacy.
  Today, the Cyprus problem continues to be one of the most critical in 
the international arena. In his 2000 State of the Union address, the 
President labeled it one of his key foreign policy concerns. Numerous 
attempts have been made to find a peaceful resolution to the issue but 
so far all have foundered because of the irrational intransigence of 
Turkey.
  Relations with the European Union have also been affected by this 
dispute.
  Cyprus is in the group of applicants that are furthest down the path 
to entry into the European Union. While it recognizes the legitimate 
government of Cyprus, the EU has refused to negotiate with Northern 
Cyprus as a separate entity. They have also stated that Cyprus' 
accession is not contingent on a resolution of the territorial dispute. 
If the dispute over Cyprus is not resolved, Cyprus will accede into the 
European Union and Northern Cyprus will see the great economic 
disparity that already exists between the two regions widened.
  Throughout the occupation, the United Nations has been trying to 
encourage a solution to the Cyprus problem. U.N. Secretary General Kofi 
Annan has sponsored proximity talks between the President of Cyprus, 
Glafcos Clerides, and Rauf Denktash, the self-proclaimed leader of the 
Turkish part of Cyprus. The third round of talks started this month. 
For these talks to be successful, there will have to be significant 
movement on the part of the Turkish Cypriots.
  The solution that has been endorsed by the United Nations, by the 
European Community and by the United States is the formation of a 
bizonal, bicommunal federation. Unification with Turkey is not an 
option and neither is the status quo.
  Two weeks ago, I wrote a letter to President Clinton co-signed by 231 
of my colleagues and 81 Senators encouraging him to give his utmost 
attention and involvement to the third round of proximity talks. I hope 
that the President and the administration will give these talks the 
close attention they deserve.
  Cyprus, Mr. Speaker, belongs to all Cypriots, whether they are of 
Turkish or Greek descent. America has a duty to the people of Cyprus 
and to itself to push for a peaceful and permanent resolution to the 
Cyprus problem. I hope it is a duty that we will discharge to the very 
fullest of our ability.




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