Despite being approved by the European Parliament plenary on October 22, the amendment calling for a memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1974 Turkish invasion and not including Turkish Cypriots, will not proceed to the Conciliation process between Parliament and the Council. The matter will instead be reviewed internally by Parliament’s governing bodies, including the Conference of Presidents, which handles internal affairs, resource management, and cultural initiatives within Parliament premises.
The amendment, introduced by Democratic Rally MEP Michalis Chatzipantelas and co-signed by over thirty MEPs from multiple member states, urged Parliament to consider allocating funds for a memorial within its premises, dedicated to the victims of the Turkish invasion of the Republic of Cyprus, including the missing persons.
However, the initiative does not fall under the usual budget amendments related to EU common policies. It concerns exclusively an internal matter of Parliament, namely the use of its facilities. The final decision on whether to proceed will be made either by the Bureau, which includes the Parliament president, fourteen vice-presidents, and five quaestors, or by the Conference of Presidents.
Controversy over omission
The amendment drew criticism for not including a reference to Turkish Cypriot missing persons from the 1960s. Political parties and organizations described it as a one-sided interpretation of the historical tragedy. Sources within Parliament noted that even if the Bureau approves the idea, implementation would need to meet strict transparency and political neutrality standards. Parliament rules prohibit the use of its premises for actions that could be interpreted as unilateral political statements.
Little attention
At the same time, a separate measure passed almost unnoticed. Plenary approved increasing support for the “Turkish Cypriot line” by 1 million euros above the Budget Plan to fund the Bi-Communal Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) and support the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage. This proposal will go to the Conciliation process with the Council to be included in the EU budget.