Solyalı: Presidential Election is Crucial for the Resolution of the Cyprus Issue

Speaking on the program "Agenda" on Cyprus Post TV, hosted by Ulaş Barış, Solyalı discussed the five-year development plan, the Cyprus issue, citizenship policies, errors in KGS exams, and mixed marriages.

"MIXED MARRIAGES DECISION TO BE ANNOUNCED ON FEBRUARY 21"

Solyalı stated that it is a constitutional right for children born from mixed marriages to obtain Cypriot citizenship. "If either parent is a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus, the child can also obtain this identity. However, if the parent entered the country illegally, i.e., from the north, citizenship is determined by the Council of Ministers," he said.

Highlighting the importance of lawsuits filed in Southern Cyprus, Solyalı said, "We are making legal and political initiatives on this issue and will continue to do so. This is actually a matter that the Presidency should lead. There are thousands of children who have not applied. This situation violates their freedom of travel, health, work, and education rights."

Solyalı noted that the decision to be announced on February 21 has been long-awaited and stated that if a negative decision is made, they will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). "This is a long and expensive process, but it affects tens of thousands of people. One child in the same family can obtain citizenship, while the other cannot. This is unacceptable discrimination," he said.

Finally, Solyalı called on families to pressure the Presidency, saying, "February 21 is a critical date, but it is not enough. Families must continue to fight for their rights."

"WE NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO BE PART OF THIS GAME"

Regarding the Cyprus issue, Solyalı emphasized that the political equality of Turkish Cypriots is non-negotiable, stating, "Our first condition is that the political equality of Turkish Cypriots as equal partners is not open to discussion."

Solyalı noted that the United Nations (UN) allocates significant resources to the Cyprus issue, stating, "There is a reason why the UN allocates such a budget to the Cyprus issue despite having many other problems."

Solyalı emphasized that the presidential elections are one of the most critical points in the process, stating, "We need to make the right choice in the presidential elections to be part of this game. Otherwise, we will be stuck in a parrot system that constantly repeats the same rhetoric, and we see that this does not benefit us at all."

"DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS LIKE AN ELECTION MANIFESTO"

Solyalı stated that they need to contribute to the five-year development plan and that one of their colleagues attended the first meeting. He noted that they asked questions about the framework in which the plan would be prepared, stating, "We criticized the elements that should not be included in the development plan. However, they said there was no need for such a thing. They said they would evaluate our suggestions, but they actually prepared an election manifesto."

Criticizing the government's goal of increasing per capita national income to 19,000 dollars, Solyalı said, "How did you find this figure? How did you divide the population? We don't even know these. We will see the content of the plan over time, but there will be debates when it comes to the Parliament and becomes law."

"GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY OVER, CITIZENSHIP MUST BE CONTROLLED"

Solyalı emphasized that citizenship policies must be strictly controlled, stating, "The government is already over. The citizenship process needs to be meaningfully controlled. We are in a country where more citizens are made than the annual birth rate. How many citizens will you have in 2029? We don't even know the population."

ERRORS IN KGS EXAMS: ALL CHILDREN SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME GRADE

Solyalı noted that there were errors in the English questions in the KGS exams and called on the Ministry of National Education, stating, "This situation must be reported to the ministry. The ministry should either cancel the faulty questions or give all children the same grade. Children's efforts should not be wasted. This exam is not a trial exam."

Drawing attention to the high fees of private schools, Solyalı said, "Private school fees reach 7,000 pounds. I would have preferred no errors in such an important exam," he said.