On the recordJuly 20, 2021
Today I rise for this Special Order to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, and to further call attention and demand action on the continued Turkish settlement of Varosha. On July 20, 1974, a very sad day, Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus and violently captured the northern part of the island and established a heavily armed occupation force that continues to control nearly 37 percent of Cyprus' territory. As a result of this flagrant violation of international law, 160,000 Greek Cypriots, 70 percent of the population of the occupied area, were forcibly expelled from their homes. In addition, approximately 5,000 Cypriots were killed, including five Americans, Mr. Speaker, of Cypriot descent. {time} 1845 More than 1,400 Greek Cypriots remain missing since the Turkish invasion, and their fate is still unknown. Greek and Turkish Cypriots were forcibly divided along ethnic lines and remain so to this day. It is utterly baffling why over the past 47 years the U.S., the E.U., the U.N. and the international community writ large have failed to take meaningful action against Turkey for the invasion and subsequent occupation of Cyprus. Indeed, lack of action has emboldened Turkey to treat the occupied north of Cyprus as an unannexed province of Turkey where Erdogan seeks to, among other things, build a presidential palace, presumably as a precursor to the caliphate he expects to lead.…
