Erhürman meets Holguin
28 January, 2026
President Erhürman meets Christodoulides
29 January, 2026
National Unity Party (UBP) Lefkoşa MP Hasan Taçoy, who heads the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly the Council of Europe, delivered a speech at the Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In his address, he emphasized that the importance of lasting peace in Ukraine and reaffirmed commitment to the security of the European continent, while also delivering important messages regarding the Cyprus issue.
The speech was as follows:
“Recent developments have once again demonstrated that security in Europe cannot be taken for granted and requires our constant collective attention. Unsolved conflicts continue to undermine the stability far beyond their immediate geography and pose a threat to the security of the entire continent.
In this context, the persistent status quo on the island of Cyprus, which has been on the agenda of the esteemed Assembly for more than six decades, continues to have direct implications for the security of the Eastern Mediterranean region, the European continent and beyond.
As is well known, the partnership Republic of Cyprus established in 1960 and subsequently admitted to the Council of Europe was destroyed in December 1963. As a result of the Greek Cypriot partner onslaught against the Turkish Cypriot partner, all Turkish Cypriot elements were forcibly ejected from state institutions and the seat of the government have been unlawfully occupied ever since.
The tragic period between 1963 and 1974 was marked by widespread violence during which hundreds of Turkish Cypriots were killed and tens of thousands were forced to abandon their homes seeking refuge in enclaves amounting to merely 3% of the island’s territory.
This period culminated in 1974 coup d’etat, orchestrated by the Greek Cypriot side and backed by the military junta in Greece. As also acknowledged by this esteemed Assembly in its resolution 573 (1974), this coup attempt led the Turkish government to exercise its right of intervention in accordance with Article 4 of the Treaty of Guarantee of 1960, thereby bringing an end to decade of bloodshed.”