[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        31ST BLACK ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poe). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my fellow collegues 
and Greek Cypriots through the world in remembering the 31st 
anniversary of the tragic invasion and occupation of Cyprus by Turkish 
armed forces.
  On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded the sovereign Republic of Cyprus and 
placed 37 percent of its territory under military occupation. Over the 
past 31 years, two hundred thousand Greek Cypriots have been expelled 
from their homes and forced to live as refugees. This illegal 
occupation persists today, infringing upon principles of national 
sovereignty and violating the Cypriots' natural right of self-
determination.
  On this day, as we remember the victims of the Turkish invasion of 
Cyprus, I urge my colleagues and the world to support the Greek Cypriot 
concerns about the reunification process. Greek Cypriots want Cyprus 
united under a plan that will provide a just, fair, and long-term 
solution to the Cypriot problem. And they deserve nothing less. Any 
reunification plan must uphold democratic and human rights for all 
Cypriots. It must resolve property rights issues for Greek Cypriots and 
it must significantly demilitarize the island. Let me be clear--a plan 
that is unacceptable to 76 percent of Greek Cypriots cannot be 
acceptable to the United States or to the international community.
  I also urge Congress to use this day of remembrance to honor other 
victims of Turkish injustice. Today, Turkey continues to violate the 
religious rights and freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch, spiritual 
leader to millions of Orthodox Christians around the world. The 
Government of Turkey refuses to recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate's 
international status, continues to impede training for the clergy, 
refuses to reopen the theological institute at Halki, and has 
confiscated or levied retroactive taxes on Ecumenical Patriarchal 
properties.
  I am pleased that I was able to include language on the Ecumenical 
Patriarch in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which passed the 
House of Representatives today. This language calls on Turkey to 
immediately eliminate all forms of discrimination, particularly those 
based on race or religion. It also calls on Turkey to pledge to 
maintain and protect religious and human rights without compromise.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in solemnly commemorating the 
31st anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus. I further ask you to stand 
firmly with the people of Cyprus in their quest to achieve 
reunification and justice for Cyprus. The U.S. should not turn its back 
on the peaceful aspirations of the Cypriot people. Justice dictates 
that Turkish troops should leave the occupied parts of northern Cyprus, 
and that the Cypriot people--both Greek and Turkish alike--can reunify 
and enjoy the benefits of peace with justice and the benefits of being 
member of the EU.

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