32nd Anniversary of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus

32ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 32nd anniversary of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus. Although this event took place 32 years ago, the situation is still one that demands attention and strong intervention today.

In 1974 Turkish military forces invaded the Greek island of Cyprus thereby disrupting the lives of its citizens. In two waves, Turkey was able to seize control of more than one-third of the Island by labeling the invasion as a ``peace keeping operation.'' As a result, Northern Cyprus was divided by a 113 mile barbed fence, which thereby prevented Cypriots from visiting areas and communities within their country.

Turkish presence on the island of Cyprus is in clear violation of repeated U.N. Security Council Resolutions. There are currently 35,000 Turkish troops illegally stationed in Cyprus as it continues to remain one of the most militarized areas in the world. As a result of the invasion over 250,000 Greek Cypriots were subject to ethnic cleansing in Northern Cyprus.

I would like to commend Congressman BILIRAKIS and Congresswoman MALONEY for bringing this issue to a forefront in Congress. I sincerely hope that we will see a better day when the people of Cyprus who have been disenfranchised will receive proper treatment and regard.

Again, I want to express my support for the true government of Cyprus, and I urge the United States government, the European Union and the United Nations to continue efforts in finding a solution to this unfortunate predicament.

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