Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has written to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, expressing strong opposition to a recent European Parliament decision that calls for the construction of a memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1974 Turkish intervention in Cyprus.
In his letter, Erhürman described the resolution as “one-sided, politically motivated, and inconsistent with the historical realities of Cyprus.”
Focus on 1974 “ignores earlier events,” Erhürman says
Erhürman argued that the decision focuses exclusively on the events of 1974 while ignoring the period between 1963 and 1974, during which, he said, the issue of missing persons in Cyprus first emerged.
He criticized the European Parliament for commemorating only Greek Cypriot missing persons, saying this approach disregards Turkish Cypriot victims.
“If there had been genuine intent, the inhumane acts and disappearances targeting Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974 would also have been mentioned,” he wrote.
Objection over the term “occupation”
Erhürman also objected to the European Parliament’s use of the word “occupation” to describe Turkey’s 1974 intervention.
He said the intervention took place under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, aimed at preventing Cyprus’s annexation by Greece, and argued that labeling it as an occupation “reflects the Greek Cypriot narrative.”
Concern about impact on the Committee on Missing Persons
Erhürman added that the resolution runs counter to the work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), a body established in 1981 to locate and identify the remains of both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing persons.
He noted that the CMP, which operates with significant European Union support, is designed to address the humanitarian aspects of the issue rather than political disputes.
“A result of lack of Turkish Cypriot representation”
Erhürman said the absence of Turkish Cypriot representation in the European Parliament allows such unilateral decisions to pass, calling the situation “unacceptable but not unexpected.”
Call for withdrawal of the decision
The Turkish Cypriot leader concluded by urging the European Parliament to withdraw the decision and reaffirmed his side’s commitment to efforts for a “just, viable, and lasting” settlement in Cyprus.
“We demand the withdrawal of this decision and will continue to follow up on the matter,” he said.
