Katie Porter: “as we come to the floor today to mark the 24th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Cyprus by Turkish forces…”

“as we come to the floor today to mark the 24th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Cyprus by Turkish forces, we have spent yet another frustrating and futile year waiting for the Administration to follow through on its promises to give resolution of this long-running problem its full attention. American policy towards Cyprus and the Aegean region can best be described as drift and react. We drift along while problems boil up, then react to the crisis du jour without a moral context or a policy framework. If we genuinely hope to solve the Cyprus problem which has plagued us for nearly a quarter of a century, we must change this haphazard approach. Let's look at the facts: Over 35,000 heavily armed Turkish troops are stationed in the northern part of Cyprus. These forces have been upgraded and modernized; they are well-equipped from Turkey's vast military arsenal. The Turkish military is, by far, the largest and most well-trained and well-equipped in the region, thanks largely to US military assistance. The Turkish government, having occupied 38% of Cypriot territory by force, has repeatedly spoken of annexing this territory. Cyprus has a 10,000 member voluntary national guard. Cyprus, even with its strategic relationship with Greece, would be annihilated in any conflict with Turkey.”