Gus Bilirakis: “I rise again today to reiterate my fierce objection to the illegal occupation of the island of Cyprus by Turkish troops…”

“I rise again today to reiterate my fierce objection to the illegal occupation of the island of Cyprus by Turkish troops and declare my grave concern for the future of the area. The island's 28 years of internal division make the status quo absolutely unacceptable. In July 1974, Turkish troops captured the northern part of Cyprus, seizing over a third of the island. The Turkish troops expelled 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes and killed 5,000 citizens of the once peaceful island. Over a quarter of a century later, about 1,500 Greek Cypriots remain missing, including four Americans. The Turkish invasion was a conscious and deliberate attempt at ethnic cleansing. Turkey proceeded to install 35,000 military personnel. Today these troops, in conjunction with the United Nations peacekeeping forces, make the small island of Cyprus one of the most militarized areas in the world. Turkey is the only nation... which recognizes the Turkish Northern Republic of Cyprus.”