Mike Doyle: “Today marks the twenty-third anniversary of an extremely troubling event; the invasion and occupation of the northern…”

“Today marks the twenty-third anniversary of an extremely troubling event; the invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus. This takeover was an escalation of unrest and violence that Cyprus had been experiencing since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1960. As a result of this tragic event, 1,614 Greek Cypriots and five Americans have been missing since the 1974 invasion. In 1996 the Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash, reported that the missing Greek Cypriots had been handed over to Turkish Cypriot fighters who carried out revenge massacres, killing all of those who were missing. Turkish troops now occupy thirty-eight percent of Cyprus, a segment that is recognized only by the State of Turkey. This occupation has led to the dislocation of thousands of Creek Cypriots from their hometowns, friends, and families. This is an unacceptable situation, and our Nation should act decisively to right this wrong. The situation in Cyprus continues to get worse.”