30,000 children of mixed marriages in north denied citizenship

Around 30,000 children from mixed marriages in the north are trying to get Cypriot IDs and passports, opposition CTP ‘MP’ Urun Solyali said on Wednesday.

Solyali has said that the state-controlled areas have classified them as ‘illegal children’ and that their human rights are being violated and quality of life is affected in terms of education and work.

Solyali said during a ‘parliament’ session that declaring such children illegal makes them feel uncomfortable.

The issue, he added, has now become a social problem, saying that there are 30,000 children of mixed marriages from either a Turkish Cypriot father or mother, who have had their citizenship applications stalled for years.

“The Republic of Cyprus has a backward attitude,” he said.

Also criticising the ‘government’ in the north, Solyali said that the unions have been doing something for these cases, while the ‘government’ has done nothing.

The ‘MP’ added that there are people from such marriages that want to work in the state-controlled areas but they are barred, despite the Republic of Cyprus’ ratifications of UN treaties related to human rights.

“Constructive proposals need to be made towards the EU on the matter,” he said.

Speaking after Solyali, the ‘minister of labour’ Hasan Tatsoy it is a great “shame for the EU” what is happening to these children.

In February this year, headway had been made in the cases of mixed marriages when the administrative court ruled in favour of two plaintiffs who filed cases of negligence against the state after having to wait for years for a response to their Cypriot citizenship applications, defending lawyer Murat Metin Hakki had said.

The plaintiffs, born from mixed marriages between Turkish Cypriots and Turks, submitted the case to court after waiting several years for their requests for a Cyprus ID card and passport to be granted.

According to Hakki, the Turkish Cypriot lawyer representing both plaintiffs, on June 3, 2021 the court ruled that political uncertainty are not an excuse not to respond to requests.

The second ruling issued in February said that Cypriot authorities acted in violation of the law by not responding to the requests within a reasonable period of time.

Hakki said that the plaintiffs now plan to take the case to local or international courts, with the European Court of Human Rights as their last-ditch effort.

It is estimated that about 10,000 children were born from mixed marriages between Turkish Cypriots and Turks, the lawyer said.