Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
A new amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives has put Turkey’s ongoing occupation of northern Cyprus under fresh congressional scrutiny, calling for a thorough assessment of the security risks it may pose to the United States and its allies.
Introduced by Representative Dan Goldman, the amendment instructs the Secretary of Defense, working with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence, to deliver a detailed report within 180 days of the bill becoming law. The report would be presented to key congressional committees overseeing defense, foreign affairs, homeland security, and intelligence.
The assessment is expected to cover a wide range of issues, including how Turkey’s presence in northern Cyprus affects the safety of U.S. interests, as well as those of Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United Kingdom. It will also examine the presence of groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in areas controlled by Turkey.
Lawmakers are asking for a historical review of terrorist attacks in Cyprus or on British sovereign bases, focusing on incidents planned or facilitated from areas under Turkish control. The report must also evaluate potential threats to U.S. troops, facilities, and assets in Cyprus or at the Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases.
The amendment goes further, calling for an assessment of Turkey’s role in enabling terrorist acts, including any political, financial, or logistical support for designated terrorist groups, and whether the use of U.S. military equipment has contributed to the occupation. It also asks whether Turkey has taken meaningful steps to prevent terrorism in the region.
The amendment has drawn support from prominent Greek-American organizations, including the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) and the American Hellenic Institute (AHI).
