[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12706-12707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   URGING THE REUNIFICATION OF CYPRUS

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BILL FOSTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 2014

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an issue 
that is near and dear to many constituents in my district.
  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the decades-long struggle to 
find a common ground between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. On July 
20, 1974, Turkey deployed its military forces to the island of Cyprus, 
separating thousands of families from their homes and dividing the 
sovereign nation in half.

[[Page 12707]]

  Today, there are still many challenges that the Greek and Turkish 
Cypriots need to resolve before reunification can take place. While the 
path won't be easy and it will take the political courage of both 
sides, I am confident that a peaceful resolution can be found.
  On February 11, 2014, the two Cypriot leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and 
Dervish Eroglu, renewed negotiations for a Cyprus settlement. This 
Joint Statement reflects the spirit of compromise and lays down a solid 
foundation for result-oriented talks.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in urging for the 
peaceful reunification of the island of Cyprus and I call upon the 
United States to do everything it can to support both sides in this 
process.

                          ____________________