[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12249-12250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


            39TH ANNIVERSARY OF TURKEY'S INVASION OF CYPRUS

  (Mr. BILIRAKIS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark an anniversary that 
has pained the Cypriot and Hellenic communities for 39 years.
  On July 20, 1974, in blatant violation of international law, Turkey 
violently invaded Cyprus and captured the northern part of the island.
  Since the invasion, Turkey has established a heavily armed military 
occupation that continues to control nearly 40 percent of Cyprus and 
has forced 160,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes.
  Mr. Speaker, it is not impossible to conceive a unified Cyprus that 
respects the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots.
  Cyprus has long been a strong and faithful ally of the United States, 
and we owe our support for both peace and the end of this illegal 
occupation.

[[Page 12250]]



                          ____________________