Speeches

The EU Programme of Financial Assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community was based on the decision of the European Council of 2004 and was implemented by Regulation 389/2006 in order to facilitate negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a functioning and reunited state within the EU. This presupposes the commitment and corresponding response of the Turkish Cypriot leader. The so-called "Turkish Cypriot leader" Mr Tatar: a) it has been imposed on the Turkish Cypriot community through an illegal electoral process, following unprecedented interventions by Turkey and in particular the organised support of Turkish settlers illegally transferred to the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus and b) it has reversed the agreed purpose of the negotiations for a reunited state within the EU, which is essentially a precondition for the provision of financial assistance by the EU. This demonstrates that Mr Tatar does not represent the Turkish Cypriot community, but is part of Turkey, which insists on overturning the agreed framework for a reunited state within the EU. The European Council and the European Commission should review the Aid Programme with the ultimate aim of restoring negotiations on the Cyprus issue in accordance with the decisions and resolutions of the Security Council and the UN, and strengthening them with a view to a comprehensive settlement for a reunited state within the EU.

The Armenian genocide, perpetrated with an organised and systematic plan by the Ottoman Empire, is one of the most heinous atrocities in human history, with 1.5 million ethnic Armenians, among them young, old, women and children, being exterminated in various and repugnant ways. It's not the only genocide in human history, but the persistent denial of the Armenian genocide by Turkey, particularly by the current neo-ottoman Erdoğan regime, is not only immoral, but is an extension of the original crime and the seed for repeating such crimes, as has been proven in events afterwards and more likely in the future. Still, recently, we have witnessed the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian indigenous inhabitants in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, with the active support of Turkey, followed by a cultural genocide of any Christian and Armenian heritage in the area. We pray and bow for the memory of the victims and do not forget the crime and the criminals. Furthermore, the Armenian genocide and such similar crimes against humanity should not only be condemned and taught as events of historical memory, but as a moral lesson for the present and the future.

Madam President, Commissioner, we have a report with many expectations and proposed measures for the future of livestock farming in the European Union. But as we speak, there is an ongoing animal health crisis with foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus, which has evolved into a political crisis. In particular, farmers in the free areas apply your instructions and protocols by killing thousands of animals, but in the occupied area of Cyprus the same measures are not applied. I'm asking you straight. With this condition, the disease will continue, with farmers who follow your instructions being punished over and over again, while those in the occupied territories refuse to apply it? Questions to ask. Is this fair treatment? Secondly, will you take any measures or will the fund continue to go to the occupied territories? Last question: How is food affected by the occupied territories, Commissioner? You have a responsibility. Is this treatment fair? Yes or no?

Madam President, the value of the EU to support democratic resilience in Armenia is critical, but we need to stress that such engagement must be conducted in strict adherence to the principle of political neutrality. Any form of external involvement would undermine the credibility of the electoral process. As far as Azerbaijan, it must show its commitment through concrete, confidence‑building measures, including the unconditional release of the remaining Armenian political prisoners, and for the EU to place the situation of prisoners explicitly on the agenda of its engagement with the Azerbaijani regime. The Armenia‑Azerbaijan normalisation process bears considerable weight for Armenian society, and has a profound impact on the country's democratic and institutional situation. Finally, we do not forget the Armenian genocide and reaffirm our previously stated position on the protection of the rights of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, including the protection of their property, cultural heritage and identity.

Mr President, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is our most important document, because it records our non-negotiable values one by one. These are fundamental human rights and freedoms that bind all Member States to all citizens, without exception. The report rightly finds that in some Member States in the European Union there is a decline in the rule of law and a lack of protection of fundamental rights against minorities and social groups. In the area of Cyprus, under Turkish occupation, the entire map is brutally violated and hundreds of thousands of citizens of the European Union are deprived of their fundamental rights. Consider this: I, as a citizen of the European Union, can move, settle, enjoy my home anywhere in the European Union, except the place where I was born, which is my homeland, along with hundreds of thousands of European citizens of Cyprus. This blatant violation of the charter imposed by Turkey on Cyprus is an injustice against Cyprus and an injustice against Europe.

Mr President, due to the war in Iran, there was an attack against the British military bases in Cyprus and that made Cyprus a target as well. Thanks to the swift aerial and naval response of Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Holland and others, Cyprus is fully protected – fully protected. Reacting to this European solidarity, the Erdoğan regime transferred six F-16 fighter jets to the northern occupied part of Cyprus, which is an EU territory. Today we heard no single word about this from President von der Leyen – nothing. Nothing about this new anti-European behaviour of Türkiye that blocks EU energy projects in the eastern Mediterranean and continues to occupy EU territory in Cyprus. Sooner or later, President von der Leyen will go. But we as Europe, we will have to face the feeding of the Turkish monster.

Madam President, Robert Schuman, a key founding father of the EU, stated: 'Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.' EU defence is the most important project for deepening the EU over the last few decades. Fragmentation of the defence industry is a problem. Political fragmentation, though, is a political mistake – a geopolitical mistake. In the last few years, we have seen the war in Ukraine and now the war in Iran. We need to go beyond national armies. We need EU defence mechanisms to protect Europe, a regional EU defence. Permanent representation of EU forces in Cyprus is the first concrete step. If we keep silent, once again, about the recent transferring of Türkiye's six air fighters to the occupied area of Cyprus, I am going to say it very bluntly, Commissioner: we are feeding the monster. And keep this date: the new anti‑European ruler, the new Iran will be Erdoğan's Türkiye.

Mr President, enlargement is an important geopolitical tool. It promotes peace, security, democracy and prosperity in Europe. However, only merit-based criteria are needed: compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, respect for the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights and alignment with our foreign policy and vital interests, international law and our values, without adjustments, so that we can also deepen the European Union. One comparison is noteworthy: Montenegro with the highest degree of compliance is the most advanced country to join, while Turkey is characterized by blatant violation of human rights inside and outside the country, expansionist policy against member states, occupation of European territory in Cyprus. Are European citizens wondering, would another country be treated the same if it were not for Turkey? Finally, the accession process must be decided by unanimity to ensure respect for all Member States and therefore for the whole of the European Union.

Madam President, it's not your fault, but this is not the first time. I follow the discussion from the very beginning. Many colleagues have the chance to make one, two and sometimes even more blue cards. That is unacceptable. Those of us who stay for all this time waiting until the end, we hope for a chance to have the catch-the-eye. We were denied. I repeat, it's not your fault. But we need to review this procedure.

Mr President, in Türkiye, to be a Christian may be considered a crime and a national security reason to be expelled. To be a journalist may be considered a crime and a national security reason to be expelled. To be a Kurdish politician is certainly a crime and you are considered a terrorist, sentenced to life in prison, just like Demirtaş. To be a democrat, criticising Erdoğan is a crime and you could end up in jail for 2 430 years, just like Mayor İmamoğlu. To be a human rights activist is a crime for imprisonment. Our resolution calls on the High Representative and the Commission to raise this concern systematically with Türkiye and to consider targeted measures should these abuses persist. I'm 100 % certain that they will do nothing. EU territory in Cyprus is under illegal occupation and they did nothing because special interests prevail. Madam Commissioner Kos, prove me wrong.

Mr President, this report highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to labour exploitation, particularly by intermediaries in subcontracting. Labour exploitation is a violation of human rights and undermines fair competition between the economy. De facto, incidentally, the employee is the impossible vis-à-vis the employer. That is why it is not just a matter of legislation, but of practical compliance. And we ask for compliance to bring about justice. Effective protection of labour rights in practice and not only on paper. Incidentally, a frequent breach of European legislation concerns fixed-term employment, which becomes open-ended after 30 months, if there are no objective reasons justifying an extension. And yet my state, in Cyprus, with the state as employer, many times the affected unfortunately try to take the obvious. And for those worried about bureaucracy, the answer is simple.

Mr President, Rojava is under attack by an evil alliance: the al-Sharaa jihadist regime, the Islamic State and the Turkish state. The war crimes carried out by this evil alliance are well documented by information from the ground, testimonies and regional reports against specific population groups based on their ethnic and religious identities. War crimes such as targeting of civilian areas, destruction of infrastructure, executions, torture, desecration of cemeteries, burying of the corpses of the dead, killing of children, abductions, forced disappearances, release of ISIS criminals and much more. Türkiye's participation is central and self‑evident: Turkish artillery, Turkish drones, Turkish‑speaking military, the same Turkish tactics as elsewhere. The Kurds and indigenous people of Mesopotamia that sacrificed 12 000 fighters in the fight against the Islamic State, is abandoned again. This is a shameful immorality and a horrible geopolitical mistake. Madam Commissioner, when any EU official will meet the Damascus jihadist regime for funding a collaboration, it is not in my name and most likely not in the name of this House.

Mr President, congratulations to the rapporteur and to my fellow shadow rapporteurs. Geopolitical developments, technology and experience in Ukraine make the use of drones a decisive instrument in the modern war of hybrid attacks and conflicts. The recent hostile attacks against member states with drones, from Russia in Poland to occupation Turkey in Cyprus, proved our weakness, which requires immediate adaptation of our European defence industry to protect our borders and our citizens. Strengthening European industry and de-independence from external factors. European small and medium-sized companies are already involved in this sector and I am sure that in my country, Cyprus, this is the case, but we need to strengthen it by simplifying the procedure, by facilitating financing and by cooperation between large and small companies from different Member States. Defence Europe. Defence of Europe with a defence industry.

I have a very good explanation. Some European officials think of using Türkiye or instrumentalising Türkiye against their own agendas. That could be the right thing to do as a foreign policy, if they were in charge of their own Member State. Now they are guardians of the EU Treaties, and they have a duty to protect the EU collectively, from Cyprus to Denmark, and, of course, like us, consistently supporting Ukraine. That's a failure and we all have to accept and acknowledge it.

Mr President, the strategic autonomy of the European Union, with European defence at its core, for which some of us advocated a long time ago, is a necessity for the Union. We are in a world marked by escalating geopolitical conflicts with the Russian invasion against Ukraine and with an unreliable Trump openly ignoring international law, rendering NATO non-operational. The future of EU depends on our ability to defend and protect our external borders and our citizens, whether in Greenland or Cyprus. High Representative, in your initial statement, you emphasise the importance to be consistent, but you consistently avoid mentioning the occupation of EU territory in Cyprus. I have a very simple question for you: is this consistent with your duty to be the guardian of the EU Treaties and the rule of law? Think about it. (in response to comments from Kaja Kallas off mic) Is that the foreign policy of the EU? Is that what it is – to ignore the occupation of Türkiye in Cyprus? Maybe you should have an open discussion about that. Would you like to, Madam President?

Madam President, Mr President, on behalf of the S&amp?D political group, I welcome you to the European Parliament. Indeed, you are taking over the presidency in an environment of unprecedented security, economic and social challenges, to which you have already referred, and which are interlinked. This is why managing them requires a holistic approach, with the European Union in a geopolitical role – at last. The Cyprus Presidency rightly focuses on the strategic autonomy of the European Union, which in practice means strength, respecting international law to the outside and cohesion within the Union, starting in areas such as energy and housing. You have also shown since taking office that Cyprus is indeed a bridge between the European Union and the Middle East and beyond. However, Mr President, this requires consistency, principles and solidarity. This is why European citizens ask, for example: Why did we impose sanctions on the offender in violation of international law in Ukraine, while we did not do the same to the illegal occupation of Cyprus, even though the Turkish occupation of Cyprus is also a violation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union? How will we combine the supply of sources outside the Union with our strategic autonomy and coherence within? In conclusion, Mr President, we will join you in these six months, since we believe in a strong, social and united Europe in solidarity.

Madam President, phasing out Russian natural gas imports is about our energy security and destiny. But the real issue is not just to end direct Russian imports to the EU, but to also close the loopholes through third countries, especially unreliable and autocratic regimes that can play a dirty game at the expense of our vital interests for years. Turkey and Azerbaijan are both a striking example. In fact, just recently, they publicly stated that they will not comply with any sanctions, just like they have done for years. But this regulation is also about diversification of energy resources and pipelines. Some of them have already been mentioned and I will mention one too. As of now, the only potential for a domestic source of energy within the EU is the eastern Mediterranean. We had new discoveries recently, new agreements with the Republic of Cyprus at the centre of all this. So the conclusion is, on one hand, we have bad politics and, on the other hand, we have good politics and a vision for Europe – I think the real choice is very clear.

Madam President, my congratulations to the rapporteurs. It may have taken long. It may not be as ample as we wished, but this is nevertheless another important step towards Europe's defence. EDIP introduces the first EU-level security-of-supply mechanism to guarantee reliable access to defence equipment development. It sets out a long-term framework for collaboration among Member States by doing more together and buying more European. Unlike the SHAPE programme, EDIP will serve the collective security interests of the Union rather than individual Member States' agendas. And, by the way, Article 1 states that our aim is more sovereignty. Therefore, third countries like Türkiye should have been excluded in advance from any direct or indirect involvement, given its occupation of EU territory in Cyprus and its Neo-Ottoman expansionist policies. The most sacred aspect of sovereignty is the ability to defend the Union against any external threats, from Russia to the Mediterranean.

Mr President, the separatist formation in occupied Cyprus is a creation of Turkey, as the title rightly says, which maintains, finances and controls it with its occupying troops. The UN Security Council condemned his proclamation, calling on all states to refrain from direct or indirect recognition. And the European Court of Justice has ruled that this is a vassal administration in Turkey, without any legitimacy. In this puppet state, on European Union territory, Turkey transported thousands of settlers from the Turkish mainland, multiples of the Turkish Cypriots, methodically committing the crime of colonization. Now it is committing another crime, the massive usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories. How many crimes does he have to commit to enforce measures, how many crimes? We have many wishes, resolutions and convictions. And something for everyone watching us. The law will one day prevail. But on that day we will remember not only the crimes, we will also remember our partners, our family, who at the critical time turned their face and were silent.

Mr President, this draft legislation to ban Putin's oil and gas imports is not only about the EU, but finally to close the loopholes through third countries towards an energy-independent and stronger Europe. Regarding third countries, Turkey is a striking scandal. Even recently, Turkish officials stated that they will not comply with any sanctions, just like they do for years. The Commission, particularly the High Representative, pretend they know nothing. They are supposed to be the guardian of our collective EU interests. Specifically, a European project of common interest ending the energy isolation of Cyprus, connecting it with the European energy grid and strengthening the EU's autonomy by accessing its own energy reserves in the eastern Mediterranean is blocked by Turkey against EU interests, and the Commission considers Turkey a reliable partner for Euro defence. This is not just hypocrisy, this is bad politics for Europe.

Madam President, the recent peace conference for the Middle East brought hope for peace, but took place without the European Union. If the EU wants to be a global player, we cannot be absent from shaping peace and stability in a region that lies in our immediate neighbourhood and is of strategic importance, as confessed by the Commissioner. Strengthening our geopolitical role is essential for our future. With challenges ahead we should support and invest in this agreement as a long-due chance for stability and prosperity for the Middle East. Cyprus was at the conference – as the EU Member State closest to the region with traditional external relations with key countries there – and stands ready once again to contribute by presenting a complementary plan directed towards security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction. This complementary plan received a very warm welcome by the midnight conference yesterday, and I strongly believe that it deserves more attention and support from the European Commission.

Madam President, here is a sample of wording from Ms von der Leyen's initial statement regarding the recent Russian drone incursion against our eastern borders: 'hybrid warfare', 'deliberate campaign against Europe', 'we want to respond with unity, with the drone wall and other actions.' We fully agree with united actions to defend the EU. However, hundreds and hundreds of air, naval and terrain violations are happening by Türkiye against our borders in the eastern Mediterranean. Right now, two Turkish armed drones are violating the Cyprus FIR, not to mention the continued occupation of EU territory in Cyprus. The Commission is supposed to be the guardian of EU Treaties and values, not to divide us by silence, double standards or hypocrisies.

Madam President, new findings in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus increase the potential of energy reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. We have repeatedly argued from this forum that the deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean, as domestic sources within the European Union, provide a unique advantage in our effort to become independent from third parties and have energy security, which we should use. This requires, however, the defence of international law, because we are facing an expansionist Turkey, which is obstructing the actions of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as Greece. Recently – just yesterday – the Turkish Foreign Minister launched new threats of war. That is why not only our European vital interests but also our values are being judged in the Eastern Mediterranean. And the decisive attitude of each one of us reveals whether we believe in our values or whether we are just pretending.