Erhurman: Mixed-marriage children issue is about human rights, not politics

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has described issues concerning children of mixed marriages, Maronite children and pupils at the Greek Cypriot school in Rizokarpaso as matters of human rights which should neither be politically exploited nor made dependent on political conditions. In a social media post, Erhurman said all three issues were high on his agenda and that efforts were being made to resolve them gradually, while avoiding turning them into matters of public confrontation. He said associations, families and athletes approach the Turkish Cypriot leadership on a daily basis with complaints about serious obstacles they face because of their parents’ origin or place of birth. These include “loss of scholarships, inability to obtain visas or being prohibited from participating in international competitions”, he said. Erhurman said that when the Greek Cypriot side raises problems faced by pupils at the school in Karpasia, he does not impose political conditions or demand recognition, as “we are talking about children”. He added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had included the issue among seven confidence-building measures without imposing conditions. Erhurman has repeatedly raised the seven issues in recent weeks, saying Guterres had called for progress on crossing points, mine clearance, citizenship for children of mixed marriages, sports, joint disaster response, irregular migration and a civil society mechanism. He said on Friday that he was prioritising what he described as rights violations because every day that passes can have irreversible consequences for young people. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Wednesday that granting Republic of Cyprus citizenship to children of mixed marriages could not be considered a confidence-building measure, saying the matter was governed by fundamental legal provisions and also touched on EU status. He said applications were currently being examined according to established criteria, adding that it was under the present government that their examination resumed in 2024. Interior ministry figures released last month showed that 5,176 Turkish Cypriots had been granted Republic of Cyprus citizenship since 2004. Of those, 331 citizenships have been granted since the criteria governing such cases were revised in February 2024. The ministry said cases involving children born in Cyprus to a foreign parent require cabinet approval and are considered individually.