Gus Bilirakis: “as I have done every year I rise again today to declare my fierce objection to the 26-year occupation of the Island of…”

“as I have done every year I rise again today to declare my fierce objection to the 26-year occupation of the Island of Cyprus by Turkish troops and to express my grave concern for the future of the area. In July of 1974 Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, seized 37 percent of the island, killed 5,000 people and brutally expelled 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes. A quarter of a century later, 1,400 of these people, including 4 Americans, still remain unaccounted for. For the past 26 years, Cyprus has been divided by the green line, a 113 mile barbed wire fence that runs across the island. Greek Cypriots are prohibited from visiting the towns and communities where their families have lived for generations. With 35,000 Turkish troops illegally stationed on the island, it is one of the most militarized areas in the world. The illegal nature of the Turkish aggression and the brutality with which it was conducted aroused the indignation of the entire international community. The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus remains a pariah in the international community with no nation, except Turkey, recognizing its legitimacy. Today, the Cyprus problem continues to be one of the most critical in the international arena.”