Rob Andrews: “this week marks the 23d anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the peaceful, self-governing island of Cyprus. For 23 years…”

“this week marks the 23d anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the peaceful, self-governing island of Cyprus. For 23 years, Turkey has tried to make the island its own. It has attempted to do this by installing 80,000 illegal colonists, by maintaining over 30,000 heavily armed troops on the island, and by moving 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes. Through 23 years of hardship, the people of Cyprus have held on to a hope for peace and for the return of their island. Their purpose has not been revenge, but negotiation and reconciliation. Here in the House of Representatives, we have the opportunity to help the cause of justice. Several colleagues and I sent a letter recently to the President outlining our concern for the delicate peace process in Cyprus. We wrote welcoming the appointment of Ambassador Holbrooke as Special Emissary for Cyprus, and what we believe a lasting and peaceful solution should look like: a reunited country, with a strong federal system; a democratic constitution which would insure the rights of the minority; and guaranteed property right and free travel.”