Katie Porter: “It saddens me greatly that again we are remembering the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, instead of celebrating a united…”

“It saddens me greatly that again we are remembering the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, instead of celebrating a united island and a resolution to the Cyprus problem. Twenty-six years ago, on July 20th, 1974, over 6,000 Turkish troops and forty tanks landed on the north coast of Cyprus and heavy fighting took place. Turkish troops pressed on to the capital city of Nicosia, where the heavy fighting continued. By the time a cease fire had been arranged on August 16th, Turkish forces had taken the northern one third of the country. Throughout the battles and subsequent occupation, there were extensive tales of atrocities, abductions, rapes and executions. It was only as those abducted or taken prisoner of war began to filter back to their homes after the cease fire that it became apparent that hundreds were missing. Nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots, who fell victim to ethnic cleansing, were forcibly evicted from their homes and became refugees in their own country. More than a quarter of a century later, the Turkish occupation still prevents them from returning to homes which have been in their family for generations. 35,000 Turkish troops have occupied northern Cyprus since the summer of 1974. During this time, Turkey's government has shown what it is that it is not a democracy.”