Strasbourg:Cypriot MEP Geadis Geadi from the party ELAM has urged the postponement or relocation of an EU-Turkey parliamentary meeting set for October 26-27 in Ankara unless Turkish authorities ensure equal treatment for Cypriot MEPs.

According to Cyprus News Agency, Geadi, a member of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Turkey, communicated his concerns to EP President Roberta Metsola and delegation chair Manolis Kefalogiannis. He emphasized that Cypriot MEPs were informed they would face different entry requirements compared to their peers. Specifically, while other MEPs could use diplomatic passports, Cypriot MEPs would need a separate entry document due to Turkey's non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus.

Geadi stated he would only attend the meeting on equal terms, highlighting that the issue had been raised with Metsola and discussed with Kefalogiannis. A special meeting is scheduled to address the matter on Wednesday. He dismissed the notion that past arrangements justified continued discriminatory practices.

In his call for postponement or relocation of the meeting to Brussels or Strasbourg, Geadi also referenced European Commission findings on discriminatory Turkish visa practices towards Cypriot citizens, urging the Commission to intervene. He stressed that all MEPs must be allowed to participate on equal terms, warning that discrimination undermines the European Parliament's institutional standing.