IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 80

Calling for a United States effort to end restrictions on the freedoms and

human rights of the enclaved people in the occupied area of Cyprus.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 25, 1999

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mrs. MALONEY of New York,

Mr. RUSH, Mr. PORTER, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. FRANKS

of New Jersey, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. HORN, Mr. HINCHEY,

Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. DOYLE, and Mr.

BLAGOJEVICH) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling for a United States effort to end restrictions on

the freedoms and human rights of the enclaved people

in the occupied area of Cyprus.

Whereas respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights

is a cornerstone of United States foreign policy;

Whereas the enclaved people of Cyprus, those Greek-Cypriots

and Maronites living in the Karpas peninsula, are subject

to restrictions on freedom and human rights;

Whereas the representatives of the two communities in Cyprus, who met in Vienna in August 1975 under the auspices of the Secretary General of the United Nations,

reached an agreement known as the Vienna Three Agree-
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ment, which, inter alia, states that, ‘‘Greek-Cypriots in

the North of the island [of Cyprus] are free to stay and

they will be given every help to lead a normal life, including facilities for education and for the practice of their

religion, as well as medical care by their own doctors and

freedom of movement in the North . . . [and] the United

Nations will have free and normal access to Greek-Cypriot villages and habitations in the North’’;

Whereas the key elements of this agreement have not been

implemented and, in fact, severe restrictions have been

placed on the daily lives of the enclaved people of Cyprus;

Whereas the Secretary General of the United Nations, in his

December 10, 1995, report on the operations of the

United Nations in Cyprus, set out the recommendations

contained in the humanitarian review of UNFICYP (the

United Nations Forces in Cyprus), as endorsed by United

Nations Security Council Resolution 1032(95), regarding

the restrictions on the freedoms and human rights of the

enclaved people of Cyprus that—

(1) ‘‘The constant presence of the Turkish-Cypriot

police in the daily lives of the Karpas Greek-Cypriots

should be ended’’;

(2) ‘‘Karpas Greek-Cypriots and their visitors

should be allowed to travel between the Karpas and the

buffer zone crossing point in their own vehicles or in regular public transportation without police escort’’;

(3) ‘‘All restrictions on land travel within the northern part of Cyprus should be lifted’’;
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(4) ‘‘Unrestricted availability of private telephones

should be permitted when they become generally available and the Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted

to make private telephone calls from locations in the

Karpas other than police stations without the presence

of any official or other person’’;

(5) ‘‘Restrictions on hand-carried mail and newspapers should be lifted’’;

(6) ‘‘Secondary schooling for Greek-Cypriots should

be facilitated in the Karpas, and teachers and school

supplies for the Greek-Cypriots should be allowed to be

provided from the south without hindrance’’;

(7) ‘‘All Karpas Greek-Cypriot students attending

secondary schools or third-level institutions in the south

should be allowed to return to their homes on weekends

and holidays’’;

(8) ‘‘Access to and religious use of the monastery

at Apostolos Andreas and the church there by the GreekCypriots of the Karpas peninsula and their clergy should

be unrestricted’’;

(9) ‘‘Provision of funds from outside the northern

area should be permitted for the renovation and maintenance of Greek-Cypriot schools and churches in the

Karpas area’’;
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(10) ‘‘Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted

visits by Greek-Cypriot doctors and medical staff’’;

(11) ‘‘There should be no hindrance at any time to

children of Karpas Greek-Cypriots returning to their

family homes without formality’’;

(12) Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed visits

from close relatives who normally reside outside the

northern part of Cyprus’’;

(13) ‘‘Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed to

bequeath fixed property in Karpas to their next of kin

and in the event that such beneficiaries normally reside

outside the northern part of the island, they should be

allowed to visit bequeathed properties without hindrance

or formality’’;

(14) ‘‘Restrictions on UNFICYP’s freedom of

movement to and from as well as within the Karpas area

should be lifted’’;

(15) ‘‘Restrictions on the discharge by UNFICYP

of its humanitarian and other functions with regard to

Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be lifted and liaison posts

should be established where the greatest number of

Greek-Cypriots live in the north at the villages of

Rizokarpaso and Ayias Trias’’; ‘‘(The sole remaining

permanent UNFICYP presence in the Karpas, a small

liaison post, remains confined, with no freedom of move-
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ment, in the village of Leonarisso, where only 9 GreekCypriots still reside)’’; and

(16) ‘‘All restrictions preventing offshore fishing by

the Greek-Cypriots of the Karpas should be lifted’’;

Whereas other restrictions on the freedom and human rights

of the enclaved include—

(1) a requirement that enclaved males aged 18 to

50 report once a week to those in control;

(2) harassment, beating, rape, and murder without

investigation; and

(3) lack of compensation for work performed;

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution

1062(96), inter alia, expressed regret that ‘‘the TurkishCypriot side has not responded more fully to the recommendations made by UNFICYP and calls upon the

Turkish-Cypriot side to respect more fully the basic freedoms of the Greek-Cypriots and Maronites living in the

northern part of the island and to intensify its efforts to

improve their daily lives’’;

Whereas on July 31, 1997, Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides

and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed to further address this issue along with other humanitarian

issues; and

Whereas no substantive progress has since been made on the

part of the Turkish-Cypriot side to implement the recommendations arising out of the humanitarian review undertaken by UNFICYP in 1995: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—
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1 (1) strongly urges the President to undertake

2 efforts to end restrictions on the freedoms and

3 human rights of the enclaved people of Cyprus; and

4 (2) will remain actively interested in the matter

5 until the human rights and fundamental freedoms of

6 the enclaved people of Cyprus are restored, re7 spected, and safeguarded.

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