EU Parliament: Turkish Troops in Cyprus Violate International Law
The European Parliament voted Wednesday to demand the immediate withdrawal of Turkish forces from Cyprus, declaring their presence a violation of international law. The resolution passed 369 to 160, with 112 abstentions, and was directed at the EU Council, European Commission, and the bloc's foreign affairs representative.
The text explicitly labels the continued presence of Turkish troops on the island as a breach of international law, calling for their "immediate and complete withdrawal." Beyond the troop withdrawal, the resolution also demands that all refugees be guaranteed the right to return and that the fate of missing persons be clarified.
The resolution passed 369 to 160, calling for the "immediate and complete withdrawal" of Turkish troops from Cyprus.
The vote comes ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, scheduled for September, where Cyprus is expected to be on the agenda. MEPs tied the resolution to broader principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity under the UN charter, framing compliance as a matter of EU legal and human rights obligations.
On the political track, the parliament called for the rapid resumption of UN-brokered settlement talks. It reiterated support for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, consistent with existing UN resolutions, and reaffirmed its backing for the UN peacekeeping force UNFICYP currently operating along the Green Line.
Turkey has maintained military forces in northern Cyprus since its 1974 invasion, which displaced hundreds of thousands of Greek Cypriots. The EU has repeatedly condemned the occupation, but Wednesday's vote represents one of the more direct legislative statements from the parliament on the issue in recent years.
