IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 620 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Turkey should 

end its military occupation of the Republic of Cyprus, particularly because Turkey’s pretext has been refuted by over 13,000,000 crossings 

by Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots into each other’s communities 

without incident. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 3, 2007 

Mr. SIRES (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SPACE, and Mrs. 

MALONEY of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

Turkey should end its military occupation of the Republic 

of Cyprus, particularly because Turkey’s pretext has been 

refuted by over 13,000,000 crossings by Turkish-Cypriots 

and Greek-Cypriots into each other’s communities without incident. 

Whereas it is in the best interests of the United States, Turkey, Cyprus, the European Union, and NATO for Turkey 

to adhere to United Nations resolutions and United 

States and European Union policy and end its military 

occupation of the Republic of Cyprus; 


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•HRES 620 IH 

Whereas 13,000,000 crossings by Turkish-Cypriots and 

Greek-Cypriots into each other’s communities without incident, qualifies Cyprus’ ethnic community relations to be 

among the world’s safest, regardless of circumstances; 

Whereas unlike age-old ethnic frictions in the region, Cyprus 

has historically been an oasis of generally peaceful relations among ethnic communities, as is reflected in many 

Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot emigrants seeking 

each other as neighbors in places like Great Britain; 

Whereas United States interests, regional stability, and relations between United States allies Greece and Turkey will 

improve with an end to the occupation of Cyprus; 

Whereas Turkey’s European Union accession prospects, 

which require approval by each European Union nation, 

will improve if Turkey ends its hostile occupation of Cyprus, a European Union nation; 

Whereas Turkey’s image for religious tolerance will improve 

by removing troops that have allowed, as German Chancellor and European Union President Angela Merkel recently said, ‘‘destruction of churches or other religious 

sites’’ under their control; and 

Whereas overlooking Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus injures 

the moral standing of the United States internationally 

and doesn’t help the image of the United States in Turkey, which recently ranked last in a 47-nation Pew survey for favorable views of the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the United States Government to 

3 initiate a new effort to help Turkey understand the 


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•HRES 620 IH 

1 benefits that will accrue to it as a result of ending 

2 its military occupation of Cyprus; 

3 (2) urges the Government of Turkey to imme4 diately begin the withdrawal of its military occupa5 tion forces from the Republic of Cyprus; and 

6 (3) urges the Government of Turkey to com7 plete the withdrawal of its occupation forces in the 

8 near future so that Turkey, Cyprus, the region, and 

9 the United States can begin realizing the benefits of 

10 the end of that occupation. 

Æ 


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