Today Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Dina Titus (NV-01), members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, released the following statement regarding this morning’s assault on United Nations (UN) peacekeepers and property by Turkish forces in Cyprus.
“We strongly condemn this morning’s assaults on UN peacekeepers and damage to UN vehicles inside the UN-controlled buffer zone in Cyprus by Turkish forces. Threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property are utterly unacceptable and undermine the ability of the UN to fulfill its peacekeeping mandate which could threaten prospects for reunification and the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish authorities must respect the mission’s mandate inside the UN buffer zone, refrain from any actions that could escalate tensions further, and withdraw all personnel and machinery from the UN buffer zone immediately. Forty-nine years after Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus, the unjustified and unlawful Turkish occupation regime continues to escalate tensions and destabilize the entire Eastern Mediterranean region. We will continue our efforts to deliver justice for Cyprus and to call for the immediate removal of Turkish troops, the return of property to its rightful owners, and the reunification of Cyprus.”
SOURCE; N. Malliotakis
