European Parliament committee backs funding call for Cyprus rape victims memorial

Nicosia, Cyprus. The European Parliament’s committee on women’s rights (FEMM) on Tuesday approved an amendment calling for European Commission funding for a monument commemorating rape victims of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The amendment calls for the Commission to work with Cyprus on financing the proposed memorial.

Committee amendment

The amendment was submitted by Disy MEP Loukas Fourlas in his role as the European People’s Party (EEP) shadow rapporteur for the FEMM budget.

Its approval came as the European Parliament began its new parliamentary year.

Fourlas said the monument would preserve the memory of women who experienced sexual violence during the conflict and draw greater attention to their experiences at European level.

“Europe must know and remember,” he said. “The women who suffered sexual violence in 1974 cannot remain a footnote in history.”

Plans for the monument

The initiative follows plans announced in June for a monument to the victims. The government approved its construction, while Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos offered support for its placement in a central location in the capital.

Fourlas said the initiative was intended to recognise the victims and preserve their accounts as part of the historical record.

Estimates cited

Academic research and survivor testimonies cited estimates that the Turkish armed forces used sexual violence during Operation Attila as a tactic of war. The figures suggest that up to 1,500 Greek Cypriot women and children were subjected to rape, gang rape and related abuses.