[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16940-16941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            30TH ANNIVERSARY OF TURKEY'S INVASION OF CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 20, 2004

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 30th 
anniversary of Turkey's illegal and immoral invasion of Cyprus. On July 
25, 1974, Turkish troops stormed the shores of Cyprus, killing 6,000 
Cypriots and forcing more than 200,000 to flee from their homes. Within 
weeks of a ceasefire and the commencement of negotiations toward a 
settlement, Turkey defied a United Nations Security Council resolution 
and launched a second, more aggressive attack. The assault captured 
more than one third of the island and marked the beginning of three 
decades of illegal occupation by Turkish troops.
  Today, the Green Line that divides Cyprus symbolizes the wounds of a 
war-torn people. Hundreds of thousands of Greek-Cypriots remain 
refugees in their own country, denied basic property entitlements and 
the right of return. The Turkish Cypriot government continues to 
deprive them of their basic human rights and the freedom to worship 
freely. Churches have been desecrated, archaeological sites plundered, 
and towns vacated.
  Since the Turkish invasion, the Cypriot government has vigorously 
pursued efforts to reunify the island through an equitable and viable 
settlement. While the Turkish Cypriot government under the leadership 
of Rauf Denktash has repeatedly stonewalled negotiations, the 
commitment of Greek-Cypriots to a unified Cyprus has been unwavering.
  I am disappointed that recent efforts to renew settlement talks have 
been stalled once more by Mr. Denktash's intransigence. The Annan plan, 
which was originally drafted by United Nations Secretary General Kofi 
Annan in November of 2002, underwent five major revisions to 
accommodate the demands of Mr. Denktash before a vote could be taken. 
In the end, the proposal sacrificed too many of the

[[Page 16941]]

Greek Cypriots' needs in return for Mr. Denktash's acquiescence. The 
plan would have authorized the indefinite occupation of Turkish troops 
and settlers in northern Cyprus, imposed tough restrictions on the 
right of displaced Greek-Cypriots to return to their homes, and failed 
to adequately compensate displaced Greek-Cypriots for the loss of their 
property. Greek-Cypriots wisely mobilized to vote it down.
  I represent a large and active Greek-American community, and I have 
been proud to support U.S. participation in negotiations over Cyprus 
and the fight for freedom and human rights for all Cypriots. As we 
remember the anniversary of this tragic invasion, we must renew our 
commitment to achieving a fair and comprehensive settlement. I urge 
both sides to once again come back to the negotiating table. A 
settlement to the Cyprus problem is critical--not only to ensuring the 
basic rights of Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike--but to promoting 
stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and United States national 
security interests as well.

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