Cypriot MEP complains about parliament event involving Turkish-Cypriot officials

Cypriot Member of the European Parliament Costas Mavrides formally addressed the plenary session in Strasbourg to protest an event held on June 24, 2026. The event was hosted by MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk within the European Parliament premises and featured individuals presented as mayors from the occupied territories of Cyprus. Mavrides characterized the presence of these individuals as an attempt to legitimize an unrecognized entity, which he claims violates European Union law and United Nations Security Council resolutions. He argued that such events undermine the credibility of the European Parliament and the established legal positions of the European Union. Furthermore, Mavrides stated that this was not an isolated incident and accused Kyuchyuk of repeatedly facilitating such initiatives. He formally requested that Parliament President Roberta Metsola take necessary measures to prevent similar events from occurring in the future. The MEP insisted that all activities hosted by the European Parliament must remain consistent with international law and official institutional policies regarding the status of the island.