In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus express their “deep concern over the ongoing illegal division of the Republic of Cyprus” and, in particular, over the “unlawful arrest and detention of five Greek Cypriots” in Turkish-occupied areas.
They stress that these arrests are “politically motivated and unlawful” and “threaten the bizonal, bicommunal comprehensive settlement” that the State Department has been seeking to achieve for the reunification of the island.
On 19 July 2025, “five elderly Greek Cypriots were arrested in the village of Trikomo” while visiting “their ancestral properties.” They were “unlawfully charged with illegal entry, espionage, and disturbing the peace,” and detained “under questionable legal procedures,” facing “harsh prison conditions” despite chronic health issues.
The letter notes that “the occupying administration ignored requests for medical treatment,” citing in particular that the “interior ministry” in the occupied areas refused to provide a machine for a serious case of sleep apnea.
The Members of Congress urge the State Department “to intervene through the U.S. embassies in Nicosia and Ankara” and “demand the release of the Greek Cypriots illegally detained for exercising their right to visit their ancestral homes.” They also call for “holding Turkey accountable for its ongoing violations in Cyprus” and for “ending the illegal occupation of the island.”
The letter is signed by Representatives Dina Titus, Chris Pappas, Gus Bilirakis, and Nicole Malliotakis.
CNA