Call on Anastasiades to help children of bicommunal couple get RoC IDs

A weekly show by Alpha TV called on President Nicos Anastasiades on Sunday to help so that the two children of a bicommunal couple can get IDs since authorities have been refusing to issue the documents because they were born before their father got his.

TV show 24 Hours that deals with social issues brought to the fore on Saturday evening the problems the family has been facing in having IDs issued for its two children, 12-year-old Christos and nine-year-old Theklia-Yasemina.

Both children were born in the government-controlled areas to a Greek Cypriot mother and a Turkish Cypriot father. The problem stems from the fact that their paternal grandfather is from Turkey.

Their mother, Sotiroula, is a Greek Cypriot while their father, Osman, was born in occupied Famagusta, to a Turkish Cypriot mother and a Turkish father. The couple got married around 15 years ago.

In an open letter, 24 Hours said that though the government gave Osman an ID in 2015, it does not do the same for the children because they were born before he acquired the Republic of Cyprus citizenship.

The children, born and raised in Liopetri in the Famagusta district, have birth certificates but they are not even covered by Gesy despite that both their parents pay contributions.

They have never travelled outside the country and cannot participate in sports events or do many other things that require the presentation of an ID, the letter said.

“As a person with sensitivities towards children, we call on you to give an immediate solution concerning  Christos and Theklia,” the letter tells Anastasiades.

It added that this was a clear violation of their rights and for that reason, the Children’s Rights Commissioner was also notified.