Cyprus: impact on women and girls of 1974 Turkish invasion 

On Wednesday, the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee adopted an oral question asking the Commission how it intends to address the continued impact of the 1974 Turkish invasion on women and girls, and a motion for a resolution outlining Parliament’s position. The text was adopted by 28 votes in favour and 4 against, with 1 abstention.

The text lambasts the Turkish continued occupation of Cyprus, as well as the crimes committed by Turkish forces, and underlines the grave and lasting consequences for Cypriot women and girls, including conflict-related sexual violence, forced displacement, family separation, trauma, stigma, and long-term social and economic harm. The MEPs strongly condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon (a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions) and call for recognition, accountability, redress, and comprehensive support for survivors and their families. They also call for reinforced EU support for the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and for victim-centred services, including trauma-informed counselling, psychosocial assistance, and intergenerational healing programmes.

Further, the MEPs call for the urgent resumption of UN-led reunification talks and the withdrawal of all Turkish forces, reaffirming that the only solution is a fair, comprehensive, viable and democratic settlement, on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant UN Security Council resolutions. They call for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Cypriot women in all peace processes, as well as for full and effective reparations.

The MEPs also support the initiative for a Monument for Women victims of sexual violence in Nicosia, as well as formal recognition of testimonies of victims.

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After the vote, rapporteur Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greece) said: “Following the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee mission to Cyprus last year, we made a commitment to listen to survivors and bring their voices into the heart of European action. The Cyprus issue is inseparable from the principles of international law and European values. Today, with this resolution, we are delivering on that promise ensuring that the suffering and resilience of Cypriot women and girls is finally recognised at European level. Fifty-two years after the invasion of Cyprus, many women are still carrying the trauma of violence, displacement and silence. Our duty is not only to remember but to act and to support survivors, defend their rights and ensure that these crimes are neither forgotten nor repeated.”

Next steps

The oral question and motion for a resolution will be tabled at an upcoming plenary session.

Background

The resolution follows the Committee’s mission to Nicosia, Cyprus, from 26 to 28 May 2025.