[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28474]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     STATEMENT REGARDING THE VISIT OF MR. ALEXIS GALANOS, MAYOR OF 
                           FAMAGUSTA, CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 25, 2007

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, as a co-chair and co-founder 
of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, I want to welcome Mr. 
Alexis Galanos, mayor of Famagusta, Cyprus, to Washington, DC. Mr. 
Galanos has an important message to share with those of us in Congress 
about how his city became a ``ghost town'' when Cyprus was invaded in 
1974 by Turkey. Famagusta is a symbol of a divided Cyprus and a 
crystallization of the situation there since the invasion.
  Famagusta was a thriving port city in Cyprus until 1974. Its 
industrial sector supplied vital jobs to the nearby population, and it 
was an important tourist destination. In 1973, 88.9 percent of all 
imports and 73.6 percent of all exports went through Famagusta.
  Tragically, a few short weeks after Turkey invaded Cyprus, Famagusta 
was bombed relentlessly by Turkish troops. Greek Cypriots fled in 
terror, and the city was sealed off with barbed wire fences by Turkish 
forces. Ultimately, 45,000 citizens of Famagusta became refugees in 
their own country, losing their land, businesses, homes, and neighbors.
  As a result of the Turkish invasion and occupation, 160,000 Greek 
Cypriots, amounting to 70 percent of the population of the occupied 
area and over a quarter of the total population, were forcibly expelled 
from their homes and approximately 5,000 Cypriots were killed. More 
than 1,400 Greek Cypriots, including four Americans of Cypriot descent, 
remain missing and unaccounted for since the Turkish invasion. Sadly, 
since the invasion, churches, monasteries, and cultural artifacts have 
been destroyed, looted, vandalized, and illegally excavated. Many of 
these priceless items have been sold on the black market. Today, 
thirty-three years later, Turkey continues forcibly to occupy more than 
one-third of Cyprus with more than 43,000 Turkish troops. It is time 
for Turkey to remove its troops from the island so that Cyprus can move 
forward as one nation.
  Just this month, we passed legislation introduced by my fellow co-
chair, Representative Gus Bilirakis, which expresses the strong support 
of the House of Representatives for the implementation of the July 8, 
2006, UN-brokered agreement between President of the Republic of Cyprus 
Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat 
relating to the reunification of Cyprus. I believe that passage of this 
resolution will be a positive influence in moving this process forward 
in preparation for new comprehensive negotiations leading to the 
unification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. 
Additionally, I have introduced H. Res. 407, which expresses the strong 
support of the House of Representatives for the positive actions by the 
Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening additional crossing points along 
the cease-fire line, thereby contributing to efforts for the 
reunification of the island.
  The people of Cyprus, and Famagusta, deserve a unified and democratic 
country, and I remain hopeful that a peaceful settlement will be found 
so that the division of Cyprus will come to an end.
  Once again, I want to acknowledge Mayor Galanos for being a tireless 
advocate on behalf of the exiled citizens of Famagusta

                          ____________________