The European Parliament has approved a resolution that officially recognizes, for the first time at European level, the sexual violence suffered by women and girls during the Turkish military intervention in Cyprus in 1974, defining it as a serious violation of human rights and a crime that cannot be erased from historical memory.
The text, drawn up by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), was approved in plenary with 575 votes in favor and 33 against. The rapporteur of the resolution is the Greek MEP Eleonora Meleti.
What the document says
In the document, the European Parliament condemns the sexual violence perpetrated during the conflict, recognizes the impact that these crimes have had on survivors and their families and calls for full recognition, psychological and social support to be guaranteed to the victims. The resolution also calls for respect for international law and calls for accountability for the crimes committed.
In the debate in the Chamber, Meleti recalled the testimonies collected during a mission of the FEMM commission to Cyprus, underlining how many women have lived in silence and stigma for decades.
We promised that their pain would not remain invisible,
declared the MEP, highlighting how the trauma has continued over the years through social marginalization.
According to the rapporteur, estimates speak of around 1,500 victims of sexual violence during the events of 1974, including women, men and minors.
The resolution was also welcomed by other Cypriot MEPs. Giorgos Georgiou, of the Left group, said that the European Union has a duty to protect the dignity and memory of all Cypriot women, while Loukas Fourlas (EPP) called the vote “a historic recognition” which reaffirms the principle that war crimes and sexual violence cannot be forgotten nor go unpunished.
For the European Parliament, the provision represents an important step in recognizing the suffering suffered by women during the 1974 conflict and strengthens the European Union’s attention towards sexual violence as an instrument of war and as a violation of international law.
