Supporting the removal of Turkish occupation troops from the Republic of Cyprus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 29th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the Republic of Cyprus, which occurred on July 20, 1974. It is my firm

hope that these Turkish occupying forces, which are still stationed in the northern third of the island, will soon be withdrawn, thus allowing Greek and Turkish Cypriot compatriots to live in peace and unity in the absence of this needless military presence.

For the past 29 years, Cyprus has been a nation divided. Despite the strong desires of Greek Cypriots to return to the homes that they have been barred from since the initial invasion, and the expressed desires of an overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriots to reunify the island so that all Cypriots can enjoy the benefits of EU membership, the Republic of Cyprus remains torn. There have been recent advancements, such as the signing of the EU Accession Treaty, the partial opening of the Green Line, and the package of measures that was designed and implemented by the Greek Cypriots with the intention of assisting their Turkish-Cypriot neighbors, but none of this has led to the ultimate goal, which is the peaceful reunification of the island. The United Nations, under the leadership of Secretary General Kofi Annan, made a sincere effort at encouraging negotiations between the two sides prior to the signing of the EU Accession Treaty, but the obdurate leader of the Turkish-Cypriots, Rauf Denktash, failed to cooperate. Thus, the division remains.

The failure to reunify the island is certainly not due to a lack of interest shown by the people of Cyprus. Compelled by desires to return to the lands they have been evicted from since the Turkish invasion of 1974, Greek-Cypriots continue to support efforts to reach a settlement through negotiations. Likewise, Turkish-Cypriots have come out in great numbers to demonstrate against their leader's negative approach in hopes of someday reuniting their country and gaining all of the benefits that come with EU membership. Mr. Speaker, I feel that it is vitally important for the United States government to continue its strong support and encouragement of the Cypriot community as they continue their push towards reunification.

I recently introduced a resolution into the House, H. Res. 320, which calls for the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish troops of occupation from the Republic of Cyprus. Given the recent advancements that have been made, I feel that the removal of occupational forces would be an appropriate and meaningful step to continue the momentum towards reunification of the island. With over 30,000 troops currently stationed in Cyprus, the island is one of the most militarized countries in the world, and this is clearly not conducive to peaceful negotiations. I strongly urge each of my colleagues in the House to join me in support of this positive step, and to cosponsor this resolution.

It has been 29 long years since the Republic of Cyprus was first divided by the illegal occupation of Turkish military forces. For 29 years Greek-Cypriots have been barred from the northern portion of their homeland, and Turkish-Cypriots have lived through economic hardships under an illegitimate government. Mr. Speaker, I firmly believe that the time has come for the Republic of Cyprus to be reunified, and I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in support of all efforts towards this end.

Mr. Speaker. I rise before you today in recognition of the 43rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus. On October 1, 1960, Cyprus broke free from 80 years of British colonial rule to become its own independent Republic. Despite the hardships that the people of Cyprus have had to endure over the past four decades, they now have one of the most vibrant economies in all of Europe, and remain committed to the core principles enshrined in the Cyprus Constitution that guarantee basic rights and freedoms to both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

Over the past year, the people of Cyprus have had much to celebrate. The Republic was formally admitted into the European Union, the so- called Green Line that separates the southern, government-controlled portion of the island from the northern occupied territory was partially opened so that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could explore the entirety of their homeland for the first time in nearly thirty years, and the Greek-Cypriots created and implemented a package of measures designed to assist their compatriots from the north in the areas of education, employment, healthcare, and trade.

However, despite each of these positive advancements in the divided Republic, reunification of the island has yet to occur. Due to the obdurate stance of the Turkish-Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, negotiations have stalled and the United Nations has ceased its efforts to bring the two sides to an agreement. At this crucial juncture, it is absolutely imperative that the United States government continues to show support for reunification of Cyprus. Fueled by international support, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots will continue their calls for reunification, and the Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot leadership may be persuaded to reconsider their positions.

In an effort to advance the peace process in Cyprus, I have introduced a bill, H. Res. 320, which calls for the removal of Turkish troops from the island. Reunification negotiations would be greatly facilitated by demilitarization of the area, as this current threat of violence is certainly not conducive to a peaceful process. I strongly urge each of my colleagues to cosponsor this important resolution. In addition, I ask that my colleagues join me in calling upon the Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee to work in conference to ensure that Cyprus receives funding at the $15 million level as it has in past fiscal years. US funding for Cyprus is used primarily for bicommunal programs that aim to encourage cooperation between the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus. The continuation of these worthwhile programs is absolutely essential to the reunification process, and, because of this, US funding is needed now more than ever.

As the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus celebrate the 43rd anniversary of their nation's

independence, I remain hopeful that the coming year will bring further advancements towards the reunification that both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have desired for decades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Cyprus.

After 80 years of British colonial rule, Cyprus became an independent Republic on October 1, 1960. Despite a history filled with disappointment and tragedy, the people of Cyprus remain committed to the core principles enshrined in their Constitution as well as the basic rights and freedoms for all people of Cyprus--Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Cypriots from all ethnic and religious communities.

In recent years there have been significant advances in US-Cyprus relations and in relations between Cyprus and members of the European Union. Having signed the Accession Treaty to the European Union on April 16, 2003, Cyprus should be joining the EU in May of next year.

However, EU laws and financial benefits will apply only to the southern Greek Cypriot part of the island, which is the internationally recognized state. Unfortunately, the celebration of this historic event, as well as the anniversary of the independence of Cyprus, is clouded by the fact that 37 percent of the Republic's territory continues to be illegally occupied by Turkish military forces in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and international law.

The government of Cyprus is to be commended for its continued efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the nearly thirty-year-old Turkish occupation. I'm proud that the United States has repeatedly supported international efforts, including dozens of United Nations' resolutions, to resolve this dispute. The international community clearly is in agreement that reunification underline any future settlement. A ``two- state'' solution that would make the division permanent would not only give credence to an illegal invasion and the forced displacement of over 200,000 Greek Cypriots, it would be inconsistent with Cyprus's history and constitution.

I'm proud to state that I am a cosponsor of H. Res. 320. This legislation supports the removal of Turkish occupation troops from the Republic of Cyprus and expresses strong support for the European Parliament to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, Cyprus is to be congratulated for its 43rd anniversary and for its relentless pursuit of peace. However, until reunification is complete, the people of Cyprus will be unable to truly celebrate their independence.