The European Union consistently defends the rights of Cyprus and Cypriot citizens, Nacho Sanchez Amor, member of the European parliament and its rapporteur regarding the European Commission’s 2023 and 2024 reports on Turkey, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of a parliamentary vote on the commission’s reports, he faced questions from journalists regarding the report’s references to Cyprus and confirmed that Cyprus is “included in the report in a very detailed way”.

“I committed myself to introduce an oral amendment today to tackle what happened last weekend with the visit of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Cyprus] and his statements,” he said.

“The position on Cyprus is clear. We are defending, as we always defend, the United Nations’ framework, meaning a bizonal, bicommunal [solution],” he said.

He added that the EU is “denouncing” Turkey’s outward support for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem, and that it is “reacting, as you notice, in the summit with the Central Asian countries”, wherein a joint declaration was signed ruling out the prospect of any of them recognising the north as an independent country.

“We stand with Cyprus in every aspect of the relation. We ask Turkey consistently to maintain good neighbourly relations to advance its own accession process, and we are consistently defending the rights of Cyprus and Cypriot citizens,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot journalist Ulas Baris then pointed out that if Turkey’s accession process is “frozen”, “what next for the Turkish Cypriots?”

“We are a pro-European society living between the Turkish government and the Cypriot government. What next for the Turkish Cypriots? Because we are a pro-European society, we want to be a part of the European Union,” Baris said.

Sanchez Amor’s response was that “my role and my position is to be the rapporteur for Turkey”, and that matters relating to Turkish Cypriots are “not my role”.

“This is outside my scope, and I don’t want to interfere. What I say regarding Turkey is that the more Turkey is defending the two-state solution, the more the northern Cypriot community seems a mere province of Ankara. Even the public spaces, the public premises have been built by Turkey,” he said.

“President Erdogan gives the blessing to who wants to be a candidate in the local elections”, he added, before repeating that “the more they insist on two states, the more it seems a mere province of Ankara.”

The reports were approved by a margin of 367 to 74, with 188 abstentions, among which were five of Cyprus’ six MEPs. Only Fidias Panayiotou did not abstain, voting in favour of the report.

His report on the commission’s report states that it “regrets the fact that the Cyprus problem remains unsolved, and calls for serious reengagement and the political will of all parties involved to bring about peaceful UN-led negotiations, with a view to achieving real progress”.

It also “strongly reaffirms its view that the only solution to the Cyprus problem is a fair, comprehensive, viable and democratic settlement”, which would be “on the basis of a bicommunal, bizonal federation”.

Additionally, it “calls on Turkey to abandon the unacceptable proposal for a two-state solution in Cyprus”.

Of the Turkish Cypriots, it “reiterates its call on Turkey to give the Turkish Cypriot community the necessary space to act in accordance with its role as a legitimate community of the island, which is a right guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus”.

Wednesday’s vote on Sanchez Amor’s report comes after Elam MEP Geadis Geadi made an unsuccessful attempt to have a resolution passed by the European parliament condemning Erdogan’s visit to the north.

He had put down a motion on Monday for the matter to be discussed on Thursday, with that debate then wound up with motions for resolutions.

Howver, at the same time, Diko MEP Costas Mavrides, who belongs to S&D, the same European group as Sanchez Amor, of Spanish party PSOE, pointed out that Sanchez Amor had already planned to include the matter of Erdogan’s visit into Wednesday night’s proceedings, filing his own oral amendment to his report.

As such, when European parliament President put the Geadi’s motion to a vote, it failed, with 103 votes in its favour 301 against. The motion to include Sanchez Amor’s oral amendment into Wednesday’s sitting passed by 420 votes to four.

In effect, therefore, a motion to pass a resolution condemning Erdogan’s visit to the north failed at the European parliament on Monday.

Other Cypriot political parties were incensed by Elam’s move, with Disy describing Geadi’s actions as “irresponsible and politically damaging” and saying they “led to an unprecedented defeat for the Republic of Cyprus on an issue of national importance”.

It accused Elam of operating on “small-party sensationalism” and of “weakening our national cause”.

Diko were also furious, saying that Elam’s failed vote “could be perceived as tolerance or even a reward for Erdogan’s visit to the occupied territories”.