Newly re-elected European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and four of Cyprus’ six members of the European Parliament on Wednesday called for the Cyprus problem to be solved, as the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of the island nears.

Metsola had made reference to the Cyprus problem upon her re-election on Tuesday as the new parliament convened for the first time since June’s elections, and did so again on Wednesday, describing July 20 as the “50th sad anniversary” and adding that “the consequences … are still being felt today”.

“This is why it is important to emphasise that this forced division of a European Union member state is not a Cypriot issue, but a European one, and we must respond to it in a European way,” she said.

“The EU has been forged through our continent’s painful history. Where once there was war, pain, and bloodshed, now meetings are held in the spirit of cooperation,” she added.

“The onus is on us to use this experience to bring people together, to work towards a single European state. A bicommunal, bizonal federation in accordance with the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, the conclusions of the [European] Council, and the values of the EU.”

She concluded her speech by saying the European Parliament “will not look away from Cyprus”.

“We are one. Cyprus’ challenges are also our challenges and Europe will never be whole so long as Cyprus remains divided,” she said.

The first Cypriot MEP to speak was Disy’s Loukas Fourlas, who took the floor on behalf of his party’s European group, the European People’s Party. He thanked Metsola for her words and added, “it shows that you do not forget us”.

“These days mark 50 years since Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus. Fifty years of people being made refugees and my homeland being separated. Half a century of occupation of European territory, 50 years of being refugees in our own homeland,” he said.

He called on the rest of the parliament to stand “by our side in our quest to reunify and liberate our homeland”.

Diko’s Costas Mavrides then took the floor on behalf of his party’s European group, the Socialists & Democrats, and made reference to the displaced persons and missing persons.

“The Turkish occupation must be condemned, the rights of all Cypriot citizens, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Latins, must be restored. They all have the right to enjoy the same freedoms as every European citizen,” he said.

He added that the EU, “and no one else … is the best guarantor for all Cypriots”.

Elam’s Geadis Geadi then spoke on behalf of his party’s European group, the European Conservatives and Reformists, saying that on July 20, 1974, “Turkey, carrying out dozens of war crimes, invaded and has since then illegally occupied the now European territories of the Republic of Cyprus”.

He said he was “asking for the obvious”: that support for Cyprus be “on a par with Ukraine”.

Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou was the last Cypriot MEP to take the floor, speaking on behalf of his party’s group, The Left.

He said the anniversary marks “50 years since the dual crime against the Cypriot people” and called on Europe to “rise to the occasion … support international law, contribute to peace in the region … for our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to make peace.”