[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              COMMEMORATING THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

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                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 28, 2010

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 36th 
anniversary of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation of the 
northern part of Cyprus. Since then, Cypriots have suffered from the 
division of their country and countless violations of their human 
rights by Turkish occupation forces. Even today, there is one Turkish 
soldier for every 2 Cypriots, making Cyprus one of the most heavily 
militarized places on Earth. It is important that we recognize not only 
the anniversary of the invasion, but also the island's ongoing problems 
at the hands of Turkey.
  On July 20, 1974, Turkish troops unlawfully occupied the northern 
part of Cyprus with a heavily-armed force that maintains control of 37 
percent of Cyprus today. This has resulted in the usurpation and 
exploitation of Cypriot property, as well as the creation of hundreds 
of thousands of refugees. Additionally, an influx of Turkish immigrants 
has settled into the evicted Cypriots' homes, permanently altering the 
demographics of Cyprus and outnumbering native Cypriots by two to one. 
The UN has passed a multitude of resolutions calling for Turkish 
withdrawal from Cyprus, but they have been continually ignored.
  As Cyprus has always been a reliable partner of the United States, we 
must not forget the injustices suffered by its people. We must uphold 
the ideals of freedom, democracy, justice, human rights, and the 
international rule of law. By invading Cyprus, Turkey is in direct 
offense to all of these. As much as we would rather have no such 
grievance to recognize, it is important that we commemorate these 
injustices today.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing the hope that Cyprus 
will be reunified soon and that peace will return to this beautiful and 
historic land in the eastern Mediterranean.

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