Thomas Manton: “in 1974, Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus and, to this day, continues to illegally occupy the north end of the…”

“in 1974, Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus and, to this day, continues to illegally occupy the north end of the island. I rise today to mark the twenty-fourth anniversary of this tragic event and encourage the country of Turkey to withdraw its troops from the island of Cyprus. I particularly want to thank my colleagues, Congressman Bilirakis and Congresswoman Maloney, for organizing this very important Special Order. Mr. Speaker, when Turkey invaded Cyprus, not only did they take away the land that rightfully belongs to the Greek Cypriots, they also took away important freedoms--the right to educate their children as they see fit and the right to practice their religion. Today, Turkey continues to occupy nearly 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. We, as members of Congress, must ensure that the remainder of the island is not seized by Turkey and continue to work toward the release of these occupied lands. The unrest that was witnessed on the island of Cyprus two years ago represented the worst violence since the invasion of 1974. Today, an uneasy calm continues to linger over this divided island. The next round of violence could further hinder any chance of a lasting and just peace for the people of Cyprus. The six fighter planes recently sent to Turkey to occupy the North is unacceptable.”