AHEPA Marks Somber 41st Anniversary of Invasion,
Occupation of Cyprus
Once Again, AHEPA Calls for Removal of Turkish Troops from Cyprus;
Urges Their Placement on Turkey's Porous Border with Syria
WASHINGTON (July 20, 2015) -- John
W. Galanis, supreme president, American Hellenic Educational
Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading membership-based association
for the nation's millions of American citizens of Greek heritage and
Philhellenes, issued the following statement on
the 41st anniversary of the illegal invasion and subsequent occupation
of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey that occurred July 20, 1974:
"Today
we mark a somber day--the 41st anniversary of the illegal invasion and
occupation of the Republic of Cyprus by the Republic of Turkey. This
was, and remains to this very day, an intolerable act; one that is a
gross violation of the rule of law, human rights, and democratic ideals.
We pause to remember the innocent civilians who lost their lives and
the thousands who went missing, including four American citizens whose
investigations remain incomplete. The illegal invasion and occupation
caused the displacement of 170,000 Greek Cypriot refugees who to this
day are unable to return to their homes which is also a violation of
human rights as determined by the European Commission on Human Rights.
Moreover, Turkey's restrictions upon religious freedom and destruction
of Cyprus' cultural and religious heritage in Turkish-occupied Cyprus
have been well-documented by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, the Law
Library of Congress, the U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom, and several media publications.
"After
Turkey's encroachment of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone during a
seven-month period stymied settlement talks, the Republic of Cyprus and
the Turkish Cypriot community resumed talks in May. We are encouraged
by the resumption of settlement talks and the effort by each side's
leadership to promote reconciliation between the communities, which
should pave the way for just and viable agreement. We also recall Vice President Joe Biden's words of encouragement
for a settlement that he conveyed on his historic visit to Cyprus last
year and call on high-level U.S. government officials to re-engage with
the Republic of Cyprus and lend their attention to the goal of reunifying Cyprus now that talks have resumed.
"However,
the key to a successful settlement rests in Ankara. We once again call
on the U.S. government, as we do every year at this time, to convey a
strong message to Turkey that it must provide the Turkish Cypriot
community with the necessary freedom to negotiate a solution within the
United Nations framework. Equally important, Turkey must play a
constructive role in the movement of confidence-building measures and
facilitate the removal of 40,000 of its troops from the island. Thus,
on this somber anniversary, we again call on Turkey to begin the removal
of its troops from Cyprus. We contend these troops would serve a better
purpose, especially to NATO, in another theatre or perhaps along
Turkey's porous border where aspiring jihadists flock to Syria to join ISIS, as opposed to Cyprus where there have been more than 18 million incident-free crossings by Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
"Therefore,
we restate our call for a reunified Cyprus with a single sovereignty,
single international personality and single citizenship; and with its
independence and territorial integrity safeguarded as described in the
relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. We contend that such a
solution is in the best interest of all Cypriots, and must emanate from
Cypriots themselves without arbitrary timetables.
"We
call for these actions in the best interests of the United States. A
just and viable solution to the division of Cyprus will strengthen the
eastern Mediterranean and bring peace and security to the region. This
is especially important with the discovery and potential exploitation of
hydrocarbon reserves within the exclusive economic zones of the
Republic of Cyprus and Israel by energy firms, including an American
one, that could provide the EU and other United States allies in the
region with energy security. Furthermore, a just and viable solution
will aid Turkey's candidacy to become a member of the European Union.
"Today,
we say 41 years is too long. Our hope is that we will no longer need
to observe this 'black anniversary,' but instead, celebrate the
anniversary of a settlement. AHEPA remains committed to doing all
within its power, and pledges to continue to work with all
organizations, to keep the Cyprus issue in the public eye until a just
and viable solution that benefits all Cypriots is realized. "
# # #
Founded
in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, to protect individuals from the evils of
bigotry and discrimination, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots
association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes
with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, Greece
and Cyprus.
The
mission of AHEPA is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of
Education,Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual
Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
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