Speeches

Madam President, as we are a full house, I would rather speak in English. On behalf of the Cypriot citizens, I would like to thank you for your statement. Cyprus’ issue is a European problem and that is why we are discussing it here today. We mark today the 50 years since the blatant invasion in 1974 and the ongoing illegal occupation of more than a third of Cyprus’ territory by Türkiye that violates the fundamental rights of Cypriot citizens with the ongoing tragedy of thousands of missing, displaced and enclaved persons. The EU’s main priority should be the end of the Turkish occupation and the restoration of the rights and freedoms of all Cypriot citizens. Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins all have the right to enjoy the same freedoms just like any other European citizens. As you rightly mentioned, Madam President, a lasting and valuable solution for the Cyprus issue shall be in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and in line with our EU values and the acquis. The EU is the best guarantor of all Cypriots and no one else. Türkiye has the acquis and that is what the European citizens of Cyprus expect from the EU and from all of us.

Madam President, I applaud the Commission President’s initial apologetic statement that illusions have been shattered and, in fact, it is our moral duty to defend a sovereign country, such as Ukraine, being the victim of Russian aggression. But illusions are still prevailing. Here are some examples. We can’t have strategic autonomy with increasing dependency of our food supply on sources outside of EU. We can’t have internal security with a socially divided EU that doesn’t prioritise the concerns and needs of its own citizens. By the way, European sovereignty is already violated by the illegal occupation of the Republic of Cyprus. And this is EU soil, for which matter the Commission’s President remains silent. Finally, to accomplish our economic, social, environmental goals, we need common defence and security and that is a proof that we care about EU in total.

Mr President, as the European Parliament we adopted a resolution in June calling on the Commission to make a legislative proposal that ensures a remuneration that at least covers the cost of basic living needs for traineeships and that also treats these practices as real work experience with respect for labour rights. We also call on Member States to make these periods accessible to people with disabilities and vulnerable people. At the same time, however, we also need to provide guidance and incentives, particularly for small businesses, to provide traineeships and a high-quality job after traineeships. As a political group, we have been at the forefront of this issue, because we believe that young people are not cheap labour, but are the true future. And that is why, Commissioner, we expect and trust that you will be able to bring a legislative proposal before the end of this mandate.

Madam President, the EU is above all, a union of justice with an independent and impartial judiciary, so that the European law is effectively applied not just with the legal harmonisation of a Member State. Compliance with effective implementation of the European law is applied through necessary domestic mechanisms. Two examples: the use of abusive and unfair terms and practices, especially by the banking sector in consumer contracts, and the lack of an effective implementation of the European directives, has been stated several times in reports of the European Parliament. This lack had a catastrophic effect on consumers, particularly the Cypriot citizens, but there is still no progress on the issue. Second, the complexity of the European laws and the case law regarding labour, considering also the high costs and the small size of certain labour markets, work disproportionately against the weak party – that is, the employee – than the employer. For this, the employee avoids the judicial process. Finally, in both instances, Mr Commissioner, justice is not served, and the Commission has a duty to ensure the effective implementation of the EU law.

Madam President, in order to exercise successful preventive diplomacy as the European Union, we need to be able to play a serious geopolitical role. This requires common defence tools and compliance with international law and our European values. So we will intervene in the same way, whether it is Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or the ongoing Turkish occupation of Cyprus, the territory of the European Union. Specifically, Turkish troops maintain an occupation regime in the northern part of Cyprus, violate fundamental rights and commit war crimes, such as colonization, cultural genocide and illegal sales of Greek Cypriot land. These have been taking place in the territory of the European Union under Turkish occupation for almost half a century. This is a failure documented in the report, asking the European Union to take an active role by appointing its envoy for the Cyprus issue. Moreover, as the European Parliament, we have repeatedly called for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops and for respect for human rights in Cyprus. In conclusion, the success of the European Union is judged primarily in Cyprus.

Madam President, Mr Borrell Fontelles, you concluded your speech with a request. How can we be more effective, in particular, to add, in an environment of existing threats, terrorism and wars, from the Caucasus to the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. The case of Ukraine shows that convergence due to political will has correctly delivered severe sanctions. In the case of Cyprus, where Turkey occupies European Union territory, there is no such will. Listening to the views here, I wonder if there is a will today for unanimity, which is obviously very difficult. Will this hypocrisy ever end? Building common security and defence for the European Union's geopolitical role can go beyond what Member States are willing to do. We also need common rules, that is, to put international law and respect for the sovereign rights of the Member States at the centre, and, of course, common mechanisms. If we want to.

Mr President, today we condemn the despicable Hamas terrorist attacks. No excuses, no tolerance. Today we stand in line with the right of Israel for self-defence. Today we say clearly and strongly, jihadist Hamas is not Palestine. Given that Israel is a democratic state, I’m appealing once again to the new unity government to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court so that humanitarian law prevails and serves as a deterrent for any war crimes or crimes against humanity. As far as last night’s bombardment of the hospital, whoever is responsible or are responsible, intentionally or not, they have innocent blood on their hands. That’s why we should leave politics aside and stay with international law and the right of self-defence for Israel.

Madam President, those of us who seek for the effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia, we also agree that the problem is loopholes and practices that circumvent them. Some blame it on China, on Iran or Kazakhstan, but these are not EU Members, nor members of NATO, and certainly they are not our strategic partners. Turkey is in accession process, a NATO member, and some still call it a strategic partner. The figures after the war are astonishing. Turkish exports to Russia increased by 50% and Russia’s exports to Turkey by almost 200%, while the EU citizens absorb huge costs, rightly so, due to sanctions. And the final point, while all this is going on, Russia and Turkey are still in strategic cooperation to develop the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, with significant risks for the EU citizens, especially those in the Mediterranean. So the problem is not just loopholes – it is double standards.

Madam President, I will talk about the missing persons of the Cypriot tragedy of 1974. There were 1619 missing Greek Cypriots, including men, women, elders and young children, who were added to a list of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, which already included around six hundred. Up to two years after the Turkish invasion, missing persons were returning who managed to escape. Since then, families have melted with the grief of their missing loved one. A few years ago, the Committee on Missing Persons was set up, which finally gives some answers to loved ones waiting for the missing. And we end up today: We are starting a new beginning, with a new rapporteur from the European Parliament on the issue of missing persons. Is there any valid information? Is there financial support from the European Union? Turkey's cooperation is also needed to open the archives and the Turkish military zones. One last word, Madam President. The case of little Christakis, who five years old was lost injured in the leg, is an opportunity to start... (The Chair interrupted the speaker)

Madam President, decent housing should be a fundamental human right, but it became a privilege for the few. The energy crisis, the huge increase in building materials, rising interest rates and other factors make housing a serious economic and social problem to the point that young couples cannot have their own home and children, affecting also students and people in low income and medium income. Rent, mortgages and utilities have increased disproportionately to wages in the last years across Europe. As I have been advocating many times, and as rightly mentioned by the Commissioner, Member States with housing problems such as Cyprus should use the funds under the RRF. But we need more than that. We need a European strategy on decent housing, supporting investments and also a social approach towards interest rates regarding mortgages.

Mr President, the adoption of a common asylum and migration package is a necessity to protect those at risk, to manage migration rationally and to put an end to illegal, and above all instrumentalised, migration by criminal regimes. For years, from this step we have been documenting that the rules of engagement established by the European Union do not take into account the particular circumstances faced by the Member States and unfortunately these rules are being deliberately, massively and systematically abused. A stark example is the criminal regime Erdoğan, which engages in instrumentalised migration illegally against Cyprus, where its territory is occupied. The migrants are transferred instrumentally to Turkey, from there to the occupied part of Cyprus and then pass to the free areas, where they lose their documents and apply for asylum. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these persecuted are not refugees. Simple question to Mr Schinas: How will this problem be tackled in practice and with actions, not words?

Mr President, we have heard the European institutions describe a crime against humanity; the crime of ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population from Artsakh. Soon the cultural genocide of everything Armenian and Christian will follow. But for there to be a crime, there are criminals. It is the regimes of Aliyev and Erdoğan, with the passive complicity, of course, of Putin. The lesson is simple: convictions and appeals are not conducive to such criminal regimes. In the resolution we call for the cancellation of the import of natural gas from Azerbaijan, which Mrs von der Leyen boasted about. But what we as the European Union are asking for is something much bigger, Mr President, and much fairer: a geopolitical role for the European Union and a fairer and more ethical European Union and institutions.

Madam President, congratulations to the rapporteur on his hard work. Especially on issues within Turkey and human rights violations in too many areas, the report is a catapult. But I ask a reasonable question. With so many human rights violations in a country where the judiciary has become an organ of Erdogan's government, can there be democracy? I will continue: Turkey currently occupies European territory of the Republic of Cyprus, deprives the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of European citizens from whom it has seized their land and homes, instrumentalizes migration, practices cultural genocide, persecutes every voice of freedom in the Turkish Cypriot community and does not implement decisions of the European courts. All these findings, without proposing any measures or sanctions in the report. On the contrary, it is proposed to start upgrading the customs union, upgrading the negotiations, without fulfilling the legal obligations to the Republic of Cyprus. This is not a strategy, it is a reward for a criminal.

Mr President, the middle class is the backbone of our economies and the guarantee of social stability for our democracies. However, the middle class has been the victim of various crises, resulting in its shrinking on a pan-European level. Poverty wages, the ever-decreasing purchasing power of these wages, the increase in inequalities, as well as the inadequacy of policies on a pan-European level have led the middle class to an angry situation, and in particular, in relation to the Cypriot economy, which is based on small businesses and which is suffering from a series of crises, I can say that the middle class is very outraged and requires policies that will lead us to growth with a targeted strategic goal from here, from the European Union. I conclude, Mr President, with a point. For Cyprus in particular, correct actions were taken, but wrong actions were also taken, such as the haircut of deposits by the European Union and the continued systematic application of unfair terms by banks to date. I have been pointing this out to the European Commission for years and there has not been an effective response yet. That is why it is a European strategy that will put our democracies back on the right track.

Dear High Representative, right here in January of this year we had a long discussion in the plenary session regarding the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which I want to concentrate on. As you know, 120 000 native Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, including 30 000 children, were blockaded with no medicine, no food by the Azerbaijanis. And after that, we had the binding International Court of Justice order that requires Azerbaijan to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons and so on. And what has Azerbaijan since then? Nothing. Here is my question to you: with all the understanding, do you consider today Azerbaijan as a reliable partner? Second question, very specific: if what I described to you based on facts – if you disagree, let us know, but if the facts are right, then is Azerbaijan committing a crime like ethnic cleansing? Yes or no? And do you consider the response of the EU so far as proportionate to the crime in the making?

Madam President, Mr Vice-President, Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Socialists and Democrats Group, I congratulate you on your election and welcome you to the European Parliament, which is the main institution of the European family, reflecting the views of European citizens. As the European Union, we are faced with decisive challenges and objectives for the economy, society, the environment and, of course, security. But these are interlinked and their management requires European approaches, as well as a holistic approach. For example, we cannot achieve our goals for the environment, the green economy, energy, the economy, society unless we successfully manage migration and security issues. We therefore support the effort to solve the problem in Cyprus, which was created by the Turkish invasion and the continued occupation of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, which is also the territory of the European Union, as you have rightly mentioned. However, I stress that the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have highlighted the potential we have as the European Union when we act together, particularly in the European Council. This is what we must do in the case of Cyprus, which remains a victim of a violation of international law. A more active role of the European Union, to which you have referred, for the resumption of negotiations with a view to a united European state, within the framework of Security Council resolutions and binding rules of European Union law, is a guarantee and security for prosperity and respect for the rights of all legal residents of Cyprus, regardless of their ethnic origin, religion, language or otherwise. Mr President, in the European Parliament you have the overwhelming support of all of us, because, paraphrasing the phrase of the President of the European Parliament in taking office, the European Union cannot be complete as long as the occupying Turkish troops divide the Republic of Cyprus in half. We also understand the huge problem in many areas due to the instrumentalisation of migration, and at last the European Union seems to be moving forward. As a political group, we focus on the European citizen. Problems in Europe for young people, women and other vulnerable groups are our priority. We supported the Recovery and Resilience Facility and included housing. As you move towards strategic autonomy for a strong Europe and a strong Cyprus, we will be by your side.

Madam President, I’m reading straight from the statement of the Euro summit that goes like this: ‘We call for continued efforts to complete our Banking Union in line with the Eurogroup statement of 16 June 2022.’ I wonder who prevents the completion of the Banking Union with its third pillar – that is the European Deposit Insurance System, which is pending for more than 10 years. Well, the answer is very simple. It is a decision up to the European Council itself, and specifically some Member States don’t want to do that. Now, with that in mind I want to end up like this. Recently, you have seen the last few calm days in the banking sector. I think this is the right time to emphasise that without the European deposit system, not only the system is unfair and unfairly competitive, but also it’s an ethical commitment of the European Council to fulfil its obligations towards European citizens across the European Union.

Madam President, first of all, I extend my congratulations to the rapporteur for this impartial report. In January of this year, we had a long discussion in this plenary session regarding the blockade of a large corridor by the Azerbaijanis against 120 000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, including 30 000 children, with no medicine, no food and no schooling. Since then, in February, we had the binding International Court of Justice order that requires Azerbaijan to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor. What has Azerbaijan done? Nothing. As long as Azerbaijan continues to blockade this corridor, does not respect international law, does not respect Armenian culture and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, we cannot consider Azerbaijan a reliable partner. But also this: it is a regime committing crimes against Armenians and against humanity.

My question will be very simple. I would expect you to answer us whether the authoritarian Erdogan regime has aligned itself with our energy security policies. My question is very simple and I expect a simple answer. If you don't have an answer, tell us. But I expect an answer and not anything else.

Mr President, energy security is an important pillar for achieving our objective as the European Union of strategic autonomy. An important parameter of our energy security is also the independence from authoritarian regimes, such as Putin's. But this also means that we have put in place a strict framework for sanctions. How can we get rid of such authoritarian regimes, not just Putin's? And I await your answer to whether the Erdogan regime today serves our interests or Putin's. My second question: The gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean are of strategic importance both for the transition phase and for the price reduction for consumers, to which you referred earlier. Do you feel that there is such a priority today and how do you substantiate it? With concrete examples.

Madam President, first of all, congratulations, especially to the three rapporteurs. This proposal aims to support Member States to become independent from Russian fossil fuel and accelerate the energy transition with access to loans and additional grants under the RRF. It aims also to help them cope with the short—term effects of the energy crisis, bringing down the high energy bills European consumers face because of the war, increasing the energy supply by including natural gas projects and cross—border projects under certain provisions within the necessary energy transition, and also improving our infrastructure. It is also important that Member States would be able to receive funding for addressing energy poverty for households and SMEs. There is also a provision that allows Member States to adjust their plan in relation with consequences of the war, including inflation. And, a final word, having in mind the continuing high inflation and how this is affecting the living conditions of our citizens and small businesses, we are in need of adequate additional EU funding, and also with the revision of economic governance.

Madam President, the extent of destruction is still hard to grasp: tens of thousands of lives lost or missing, destruction and mourning. Among the lost, 24 schoolchildren, our children from the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus with their companions. From the very moment, the Republic of Cyprus expressed readiness to contribute a team of rescuers with medical assistance. But the Erdoğan regime rejected it for politically motivated reasons. There are many reasons indeed for not trusting Erdoğan regime, but indeed, Erdoğan is not the people of Türkiye. The humanitarian relief for the affected areas in Türkiye and Syria must involve civil society actors, trade unions, medical associations and other NGOs, away from the dirty hands of inhumane and corrupted autocrats. Mr Commissioner, after all, solidarity and empathy for the people must prevail because humanity must prevail.

Mr President, we expect the Council to finally come up with a European binding framework on legal migration and asylum protection for those who need it, on the basis of solidarity and – at last – to address the root causes. But now the frontline Member States bear all the burden, social and economic, on their own. Especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, illegal immigration has an institutional, organised smuggler with a name – Erdogan’s Turkey, which illegally occupies 37% of the territory of Cyprus in the European Union. From there, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are systematically and deliberately channelled. I conclude, Mr President, with a number: In Cyprus we now have more than 10% of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. This is equivalent to about 8.5 million people in Germany.

Mr President, for over a month the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outer world has been blocked by self—proclaimed environmentalists from Azerbaijan, joined now with Azerbaijani military personnel. This blockade has led to a severe humanitarian crisis for over 120 000 Armenians, who stay there with no food, no fuel, no medication – and they call that their home for over 2 000 years. This humanitarian crisis was further aggravated by the disruption of the natural gas supply. This may be another resolution in the European Parliament, but we have another crime committed by Azerbaijanis in the making. For over 120 000 residents in Nagorno—Karabakh – including 30 000 children and 20 000 elderly – with no food, no medicine, no schooling this debate may be their only window for salvation.

Madam President, this report reflects the annual evaluation by the European Parliament of the implementation of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy, and is the first after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the adoption of the EU Strategic Compass. In an era of threats and aggression, the future of the EU depends on our commitment to defend our common values through an EU defence union, by taking those specific concrete steps forward, including joint actions and capacity, and always having international law as the core of our common rules and our common implementation mechanisms. A last word, the defence of the Union is a necessary condition to achieve our social, environmental and economic goals. And also this, we send a strong message to put in that we do not accept the violation of international law and also the violation of Ukraine’s sovereign rights. And this applies to everyone. That’s why we also condemn Erdogan’s aggressive and illegal actions against EU and in particular against Cyprus and Greece in the eastern Mediterranean.