Gus Bilirakis: “Continuing with my remarks, Mr. Speaker, last year some of the worst human rights abuses occurred on the island since…”

“Continuing with my remarks, Mr. Speaker, last year some of the worst human rights abuses occurred on the island since the Turkish invasion. Four unarmed Greek Cypriots and one unarmed Turkish Cypriot were shot and killed while protesting the division of the island. Nearly 100 protesters and 14 U.N. peacekeepers were injured throughout the year, as well. We ask ourselves sometimes, why is an end to the division of Cyprus in America's best interest? International stability is a key factor to our increasingly global economy. A divided Cyprus only continues to serve as a fuse between, lit fuse I might say, between two of our NATO allies, Greece and Turkey. Twice since the 1974 invasion Greece and Turkey have almost gone to war. The most recent incident was in 1996 concerning the Imia Islet crisis. The Aegean Sea is home to the world's busiest shipping lanes. Indeed, Cyprus is in a key strategic position relative to the Mediterranean region and the Suez Canal, which is instrumental in supplying oil and other materials vital to the stability of the entire region.”