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COMMEMORATING THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS FIFTEEN LEGISLATORS JOIN AHI TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF TURKEY’S INVASION OF CYPRUS
AHI virtually hosted an event with U.S. policymakers to commemorate the dark 48-year anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, July 27, 2022. AHI hosted it in cooperation with the Congressional Hellenic Caucus’s co-chairs, U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
Fifteen members of Congress from the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives participated. In addition to U.S. Reps. Bilirakis and Maloney, members of Congress who provided remarks included: U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Gary Peters (D-MI); and U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (DNV), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), David Cicilline (D-RI), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chuck Fleishmann (R-TN), Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ).
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Special guest speakers included: Ambassador of Greece to the United States Alexandra Papadopoulou and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United
States Maria Savvidou – Panayiotou, and Dr. Zenon Christodoulou, chairman, AHEPA Cyprus and Hellenic Affairs Committee. In addition, AHI presented a pre-recorded video from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. AHI President Nick Larigakis served as event moderator. He thanked U.S. Reps. Bilirakis and Maloney for their sponsorship of the event.
The speakers emphasized their condemnation of Turkey’s illegal invasion and continued occupation of Cyprus and expressed their desire for a proper settlement of the Cyprus issue, peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the need to hold regional actors such as Turkey accountable.
President Larigakis ended the event by stating, “The American Hellenic Institute will continue to fight for a solution in Cyprus that falls in line with US interests, the rule of law, international law, human rights, and for the good people of Cyprus.”
On January 27, 1989, as a United States Senator, President Joe Biden wrote a letter to Dr. Dean Lomis, then AHIPAC Chairman: must send a signal to Turkey that until it has removed every last soldier from Cyprus, it will never be recognized as a full member of the international community.”
