Foreign Ministry Condemns European Parliament's 1974 Resolution as 'Biased'

In a written statement, the ministry said the resolution, adopted by the European Parliament's plenary on 8 July 2026 under the title "The Impact of the 1974 Intervention on Cypriot Women and Girls", reflected what it described as the Parliament's long-standing one-sided approach to the Cyprus issue.

The ministry argued that Turkey's military intervention on 20 July 1974 was a legitimate action carried out under the rights and obligations arising from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. It said the intervention brought an end to attacks, massacres and human rights violations committed against Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974, and ensured the security and survival of the Turkish Cypriot people.

The statement accused the European Parliament of distorting historical facts and unfairly targeting both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community instead of acknowledging what it described as atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots during that period.

It also claimed the resolution served Greek Cypriot propaganda and criticised the Parliament for ignoring efforts by female MPs in the TRNC parliament, who had written to the chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) before the vote to present what they described as the realities on the island.

According to the ministry, the adoption of the resolution demonstrated that European Union institutions had lost their impartiality on the Cyprus issue and were acting as advocates for the Greek Cypriot side.

The ministry said it considered the resolution "null and void," arguing that it disregarded the will and inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and deliberately distorted the realities on the island.

It called on the European Parliament to abandon what it described as its one-sided approach, stop using the Cyprus issue as a political tool and respect both historical facts and the current realities on the island.

The statement concluded by reiterating the TRNC's position that a just, lasting and sustainable settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides in Cyprus, adding that the TRNC would continue to defend its rights and sovereignty alongside Turkey.