United Nations sponsored talks. supported by all parties concerned. have been going on for some time. The U.N. resolutions and the May 19th agreement between President Kyprianou and Turkish Cypriot leader Denktash provide the framework for an agreement. yet no agreement has been reached. The Turkish side has not permitted Greek Cypriot refugees to return to the Famagusta region as they promised in 1978. and it has yet to present concrete territorial proposals. It is no wonder that progress has been so slow in the face of such Turkish intransigence. I hope that this administration will convince the Turkish side of the error of their ways so that there can finally be a just. fair. and long lasting solution to this problem. We have to remember that the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in the summer of 1974 created humanitarian and economic chaos on a grand scale. More than onethird of the Cypriot population (200.000 people) was driven from their homes. deprived of all their possessions. and reduced to the status of refugees. More than 2.000 people. including 8 American citizens. have been missing since 1974. The invading Turks seized 40 percent of the landmass of Cyprus. representing 70 percent of the economic wealth of the country. The major humanitarian problems continue to be housing and health needs. The 200.000 refugees represent a backlog of 50.000 households. and as of 1981 only half this need has been met. The Government is continuing its three part program of lowcost housing. selfhelp housing. and restoration to eliminate this shortfall. Adequate medical treatment is still a problem because two of the six public general hospitals lie in the Turkish sector.
Keywords matched
refugees