[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23920]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CYPRUS INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 1, 2003

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the many Cypriot Americans in New 
Jersey I rise today to honor the 43d anniversary of the Independence of 
the Republic of Cyprus. Cyprus became an independent Republic in 1960 
after 80 years of British colonial rule and hundreds of years under the 
yoke of the Ottoman Empire. Despite a series of tragic events during 
the past four decades, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus remains 
committed to the core principles enshrined in the Constitution of 
Cyprus guaranteeing the basic rights and freedoms of the people of 
Cyprus--Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Cypriots from all ethnic 
and religious communities.
  This year, Cyprus's Independence Day arrives at a time of great hope 
for all the people of Cyprus. Since the last celebration of Cyprus 
Independence Day, Cyprus has experienced events of major historic 
import--most notably the signing of the Treaty of Accession to the 
European Union in April of this year. Cyprus is now on target to join 
the EU in May 2004 and that is no small achievement for a nation that 
has endured such a long list of tragedies.
  As in past years, however, the continued de facto division of the 
island nation clouds the commemoration of its Independence Day. Thirty-
seven percent of the Republic's territory continues to be occupied by 
Turkish military forces in violation of U.N. Security Council 
resolutions and international law.
  While the Cyprus problem continues to elude a final, just, and 
peaceful solution, never before in the 29 years since Turkish forces 
split the island in two, have Cypriots been so close to a settlement. 
And yet they are so far away. The last year has been fraught with 
opportunities lost--many of us here in Congress thought that the 
Copenhagen Summit last winter offered a unique opportunity for Greek 
and Turkish Cypriots to finally resolve their differences. A new 
Turkish leadership in Ankara looked poised to make history and then 
didn't.
  We had hope. The plan put forth by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan 
continued to gain momentum. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots were 
protesting in the streets against their leader Rauf Denktash calling on 
him to accept the Annan plan. There was anticipation that referenda 
would occur this past spring and finally liberate Cypriots from the 
oppressive division of their island.
  And then as has often happened in the history of Cyprus an 
opportunity was lost. Mr. Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, would 
not take the Annan plan to his people for a referendum. Denktash 
abandoned the Annan plan. And a frustrated U.N. closed up shop and went 
home.
  And then something wonderful happened. Mr. Denktash unilaterally 
opened up the borders. Some on Cyprus and in Congress have looked upon 
this action with suspicion, but I don't think anyone can dispute that 
the results have been overwhelming positive for the Cypriot people. 
There are a lot of experts with different opinions on why Mr. Denktash 
did what he did, but one thing is for certain. Cypriots have begun 
talking to Cypriots again. An artificial line has been eliminated and I 
don't think there's any turning back.
  One of my constituents, Theo Hadjitheodosiou from Holmdale, New 
Jersey, was born in Cyprus. He is Greek Cypriot and recently returned 
to Cyprus to cross the Green Line to see one of the homes where some of 
his family used to live before the 1974 invasion. He said it was nice 
to go, but that he remained saddened by the continued occupation by 
Turkish forces.
  Can you imagine having to show your passport to go from Trenton to 
Pennsylvania? That's what it's like. The division has been particularly 
hard on the Turkish Cypriots, he said. Like many other Cypriots, Theo 
sees the opening of the border as only a first step on the road toward 
a settlement.
  I am hopeful that the renewed human contact between Greek and Turkish 
Cypriots will accelerate the political process. Eventually, trust will 
be rebuilt among people. And then the enemies of peace will have no 
choice but to let go of their stubborn, outdated positions to make way 
for a new generation that will embrace a peaceful future--a future of 
one Cyprus, made up of Turkish and Greek Cypriots--in which all 
citizens are not only Cypriot, but more importantly, European.
  I will continue to do what I can in Congress to support a Cyprus 
solution based on the Annan plan. I will continue to urge the Bush 
administration to convince the Turks in Ankara that a solution in 
Cyprus will provide the gateway to Turkey's own goals of a European 
future. As elections approach in the Turkish-occupied area, I will ask 
the administration to make it clear to Ankara not to interfere. Polls 
recently conducted on Cyprus indicate that if free and fair elections 
were held in the North, the Turkish Cypriots would elect a new, pro-
settlement leadership. A new Turkish Cypriot leadership that represents 
the aspirations of a majority of Turkish Cypriots would be a welcome 
development and would probably lead to the renewal of settlement 
negotiations.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise today on Cyprus Independence Day to celebrate 
the progress that Cyprus continues to make as an incoming member state 
of the European Union, as a vibrant democracy with a robust market 
economy, and as an increasingly important partner of the United States. 
And I hope, as I do each year, that the people of Cyprus will soon 
enjoy the benefits of a peaceful settlement.

                          ____________________