Brussels, Belgium. Five of Cyprus’ six members of the European Parliament abstained on Wednesday in the final vote on the parliament’s annual report on Turkey, while independent MEP Fidias Panayiotou voted against it. The report was adopted with 381 votes in favour, 107 against, and 171 abstentions.
Cypriot votes on the report
Disy’s Loukas Fourlas and Michalis Hadjipantela, Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, Elam’s Geadis Geadi, and Dikos’ Costas Mavrides abstained in the vote. Panayiotou was the only Cypriot MEP to reject the report.
Rapporteur raises concerns over Turkey
Following the vote, the parliament’s rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor said Turkey “continues to move rapidly towards a fully authoritarian model”. He referred to a court’s removal of opposition party CHP leader Ozgur Ozel as “the latest example of a broader erosion of democratic pluralism and the rule of law”.
He added that the case showed “the role of a judiciary which is weaponised for political purposes”.
Criticism of EU response
Sanchez Amor said he was “deeply concerned” by what he described as the muted response of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and member states, which he said “continue to turn a blind eye to the ongoing dismantling of democracy in Turkey”.
He said this “silence” serves to “undermine the EU’s image and credibility” and further alienates “the most pro-European and pro-democratic segments of Turkish society”. He added that this entails “consequences that may take years to reverse”.
References to Cyprus in the report
Regarding Cyprus, the report said Turkey must allow Turkish Cypriots the space to act within their role as a “legitimate community of the island”, and highlighted that Turkish Cypriot political participation is fundamental to the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.
The report also urged the European Commission to “step up its efforts to engage with the Turkish Cypriot community” to facilitate a resolution to the Cyprus problem.
Call for progress on the Cyprus problem
It called on all those involved to “demonstrate a more courageous approach” in efforts related to the Cyprus problem. The report also stressed “the need for the EU body of law to be implemented across the island” after the Cyprus problem is resolved.