Cyprus government says citizenship for ‘mixed marriage’ children is not a confidence-building measure

Nicosia, Cyprus. Granting Republic of Cyprus citizenship to children with one Turkish Cypriot parent and one third-country national parent cannot be considered a confidence-building measure, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Wednesday after a National Council meeting.

Citizenship applications

Asked about seven topics that Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought progress on during a July visit to the island, Letymbiotis said citizenship was governed by fundamental legislative provisions and affected European Union status.

He said applications from children described as being from “mixed marriages” are examined under established criteria. The examination of those applications resumed in 2024 under the current government, he added.

Crossing points and mine clearance

Letymbiotis said Guterres had put forward what he described as a compromise proposal on crossing points during his visit. The Greek Cypriot side accepted it and continues to do so, he said, but the other side has not.

On mine clearance, he said the Greek Cypriot side submitted a proposal last April concerning areas identified by the United Nations. He said the other side had neither accepted nor discussed it.

Disaster response, migration and sport

Letymbiotis said a proposed technical committee on natural disasters was discussed in New York last week by Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, Erhurman’s undersecretary Mehmet Dana, UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin and UN undersecretary-general for peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo. He said the Greek Cypriot side supports establishing the committee, while the other side has expressed reservations.

A joint mechanism to combat irregular migration was also among the issues Erhurman raised.

On sport, Letymbiotis referred to a 2013 agreement under which the Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) would join the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), allowing international recognition of Turkish Cypriot football. The CTFA was formed after Turkish Cypriots were forbidden from playing at church-owned football grounds in 1955.