Recognise our human rights, say those from mixed marriages in north

Women are most affected by the Republic of Cyprus’ delay in giving IDs to children born to a mixed marriage in the north, the group ‘Uncredentialeds’ said on Wednesday, calling for all humanitarian groups to support their demonstration planned for later in the week.

During the press conference, the groups called on all humanitarian groups to support their action on Saturday, where they will deliver a letter to the interior ministry about their plight, following a march from Ledra Street.

The group announced that they have informed the police about their demonstration, to be within the scope of the law.

Made up of individuals, who are either married to Turkish nationals or children of a Turkish Cypriot and Turkish national, the group is calling for the government to recognise their children’s human rights and stop delaying receipt of Cypriot citizenship.

Under the current law, to be eligible for Cypriot citizenship a woman, who is pregnant with a child of a mixed marriage, would have to go to a different country to give birth, as a birth in the north is unrecognised.

“This is a clear violation of women’s rights. We call on the Republic of Cyprus to stop these inhumane practices,” the group said.

Commenting on the methods the government is using to delay their applications, the group said it is arbitrary and has no legal basis.

A law shared with people at the conference, highlighted the clear discrimination of people born into mixed marriages.

In a 2002 law, it is stated that all children born to a Cypriot and a third country national that has illegally entered the country would be denied citizenship.

However, the government made the discrimination clear in a 2007 cabinet decision, where it is clearly stated children born from one Turkish parent will not be eligible for citizenship, while children, whose one parent is from another country, will be allowed to apply so long as one parent is Cypriot.

In a letter seen by the Cyprus Mail, one such applicant, who met the criteria found another hurdle, which is that their citizenship application would have to go before cabinet at the behest of the interior minister, who could decide when, and then the citizenship could be granted.

Last month, main opposition CTP ‘MP’ in the north Urun Solyali said that the state-controlled areas have classified these children as ‘illegal children’ and that their human rights are being violated and quality of life is affected in terms of education and work.

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.

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.