President of the Cypriot House of Representatives Annita Demetriou has underlined the strong parallels between the dramatic situation of refugees on the Ukrainian-Polish border and the situation with refugees in Cyprus following the Turkish invasion in 1974.
Demetriou was speaking during a meeting of Women Speakers of EU Parliaments and of special guests from Ukraine and the European Parliament, hosted by Speaker of the Polish lower house, Elzbieta Witek in Warsaw.
In statements to CNA, she said that her visit to the reception sites of Ukrainian refugees and the concerns raised there about the risks of trafficking, exploitation, torture and sexual abuse of children and women, reminded her of the Cypriot people’s descriptions of Turkey’s atrocity and barbarity during the 1974 invasion against Cyprus.
Demetriou stressed the importance of initiatives, such as the meeting of women Speakers of European Parliaments, to adopt a common set of actions to support and offer relief to refugees. She told CNA that such meetings serve as a reminder to the international community of the situation in Cyprus, which is occupied by Turkish troops since 1974 in violation of international law and fundamental human rights.
We understand more than anyone else what it means to become a refugee, to have relatives who are missing and to live through such horror, Demetriou said.
Speaking at the meeting of the nine women Presidents of Parliament (Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus, Ukraine and the European Parliament) Demetriou stressed that there can be no double standards as regards compliance with international law.
Pointing out the similarities between Turkey’s actions against Cyprus in 1974 and Russia’s actions in Ukraine, she said that the international community maintains an outrageous position of double standards towards Russia, on the one hand, and Turkey, on the other. Equally outrageous, she added, is the fact that Turkey does not abide by the sanctions that have been collectively imposed on Russia, thus weakening the effectiveness of the measures.
She referred to the horrific consequences of the Turkish invasion against Cyprus in 1974 that left behind thousands of refugees and a military occupation of 37% of Cyprus’ territory which continues until today, saying that this is an additional reason for maintaining a firm position in abiding by the principles of international law alongside the people of Ukraine.
Cyprus, she said, is hosting 15,000 Ukrainian refugees and recalled that the country is already faced with a big challenge due to the disproportionately large number of asylum applications, compared to the country’s population.
In statements to CNA before returning to Cyprus, Demetriou said thatwomen and children are always the worst victims of war and added that discussions in Polandalso focused on providing assistance to these vulnerablegroups and lifting the risk oftrafficking, exploitation or sexual abuse. During the meeting, she noted, she stressed the need for solidarity with them, but also between European countries that accept refugees, with a coherent policy for granting asylum.
Concluding, she pointed out that some Parliaments in Europe have adopted resolutions referring to a genocide in Ukraine, but said that this is an issue that has not been raised yet at the Cyprus House of Representatives but could be discussed in the near future.
Source: Cyprus News Agency