Robert Torricelli: “I rise today to draw this country's attention to Turkey's continued occupation of Cyprus. This gross violation of human…”

“I rise today to draw this country's attention to Turkey's continued occupation of Cyprus. This gross violation of human rights is now in its twenty-second year, and gives no indication of abating in the near future. It is for this reason that I speak today, in an effort to heighten the international community's awareness of the situation and bring some relief to the people of Cyprus. July 20, 1974 is a day that will forever be embedded in the hearts of the Cyprus people. Since then, Cyprus has been divided nearly in half as Turkish troops maintain control of almost forty percent of the island. Families have been torn apart and loved ones separated from one another by the brutal line which rends the country in two. A list of some of the more blatant abuses comes easily to mind. The occupying forces have evicted people from their homes and confiscated Cypriot property in order to give it to Turkish citizens. Citizens who disappeared during the occupation have yet to be accounted for. These and other offenses have been directed against a population which has no recourse for justice except to gain the sympathetic ears of states like ours. Rather than heed, or even acknowledge, the international community's requests to resolve the situation in Cyprus, Turkey has chosen to flagrantly ignore calls for moderation. Suppression of Cyprus' cultural heritage has become the order of the day as the Turkish government seeks to change the face of the Cypriot population.”