“Today marks a solemn occasion as we observe the 34th anniversary of the illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus by the Republic of Turkey. This was an intolerable act; one that was a gross violation of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and sadly, it is an injustice that still stands today. Turkey’s invasion and occupation defies all principles and ideals for which the United States stands.
“The current environment on Cyprus provides us cautious optimism that a path to a solution is possible. We applaud the recent outreach by President of the Republic of Cyprus Dimitris Christofias to the Turkish-Cypriot leadership and we commend the implementation of the July 8, 2006 high-level United Nations agreement by both communities that established technical committees and working groups that have been operating since March 21, 2008. We understand the framework for a settlement is there, however; we are also cognizant that the political will must exist and that a key to a solution lies in Ankara. Ankara can take a positive step with a drawdown of the 40,000-plus Turkish troops present on the island so that eventually no troops remain. The tens of millions incident-free crossings between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since 2003 provide proof that the two communities peacefully coexist. Therefore, we call upon the U.S. Congress and Administration to urge Ankara to remove its troops from Cyprus. As American citizens, we contend that such a significant troop level can benefit NATO in one of its vital missions instead of sustaining an illegal 34-year-old occupation.
“In the final analysis a just and viable solution will be one that is in the best interest of all Cypriots and made by all Cypriots. Our hope is that we will no longer need to observe this black anniversary, and instead, celebrate the anniversary of a settlement. AHEPA will continue to do its part to help keep this injustice in the public eye until a just solution is realized."
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AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, and sister chapters in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA joined with the NAACP and B'nai B'rith International to fight discrimination.
The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.
For more information about the AHEPA family, or how to join, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, (202) 232-6300, or visit www.ahepa.org.
