Immediate End to Turkish Occupation of Cyprus

Floor Speech

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for an immediate end to the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. This year we mark the 40th anniversary of Turkey's aggressive and illegal division of the island.

During their forty year occupation, Turkey has taken little action to bring peace and stability to the island. In fact, they have done just the opposite, bringing tens of thousands of settlers from mainland Turkey to live in the homes of Greek Cypriots and further complicate any solution to the Cyprus Problem.

The Turkish government has been complicit in the destruction of Greek churches and the systematic demolition of Greek culture in the northern areas of Cyprus.

Time after time, the Turkish Government has stood in the way of a mutually agreeable resolution. Despite the lack of commitment from the Turkish authorities, Cyprus remains committed to finding a settlement to reunify Cyprus in a manner that respects the rights of all inhabitants of the island. It is far past time for Turkey to seriously work on finding a solution to this problem.

Cyprus is a strong ally of the United States in an area of the world that can be unstable and unpredictable. It is critical that the United States strengthens our relationship with Cyprus, especially on issues such as energy and tourism.

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