Nicosia: President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Annita Demetriou, met with a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), which is currently visiting Cyprus. The visit was organised at the initiative of Cypriot MEP and FEMM Committee member, Loucas Fourlas.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the aim of the visit is to shed light on the tragic dimension of gender-based and sexual violence suffered by Cypriot women at the hands of Turkish forces during the 1974 invasion. The delegation included MEPs Eleonora Meleti (Head of Delegation), Loucas Fourlas, Anna Maria Cisint, and Laurence Trochu. They were accompanied by MEP Giorgos Georgiou and the Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, Andreas Kettis.
Welcoming the delegation, Demetriou expressed her ‘deep gratitude for the presence of the FEMM Committee in Cyprus on such an important humanitarian issue,’ and commended the committee’s valuable work. She stressed that its presence reaffirmed the European Parliament’s ‘firm commitment to the protection of women’s rights and gender equality.’ Demetriou stressed that sexual violence continues to be used even today as a weapon of war to intimidate and subjugate. She highlighted the ongoing importance of European support in upholding human rights, combating impunity, and expressing tangible solidarity with all victims of sexual violence in conflict zones – whether in Cyprus, Ukraine, Gaza, or Nagorno-Karabakh.
She also noted that ‘these crimes are equally serious wherever they are committed, and the European Union’s response must be the same.’ She reiterated the readiness of the Cypriot legislature to support all efforts to preserve historical memory and pursue justice, stating that ‘such crimes must never be forgotten.’ Demetriou also announced that she would personally initiate efforts with President Nikos Christodoulides to launch a memorial project honouring the women who were subjected to wartime rape during the Turkish invasion.
Head of Delegation Eleonora Meleti noted the significance of this first FEMM Committee mission to an EU member state to learn about and discuss such a sensitive issue. ‘Fifty years later, the trauma is unfortunately being repeated in other parts of the world,’ she said, stressing the need for legal frameworks to protect victims. MEP Loucas Fourlas noted the importance of the visit for Cypriot women who were victims of sexual violence during the 1974 invasion, adding that ‘pain does not fade with time, and justice for the victims is essential.’
MEP Giorgos Georgiou also highlighted the shared pain of women in Cyprus, Palestine, and Ukraine who have suffered sexual violence in conflict, remarking that healing in Cyprus can only come through peace. Following the meeting, the delegation – accompanied by Demetriou – visited the exhibition ‘A Woman’s View of War,’ hosted in the atrium of the House of Representatives. The exhibition showcases the traumatic experiences and testimonies of women affected by armed conflict.