Hasipoğlu and Candan Attend PACE 2025 First Ordinary Session in Strasbourg

The delegation from the TRNC Parliament, consisting of UBP Secretary General MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu and CTP MP Armağan Candan, participated in various discussions during the General Assembly meetings.

Following the speech by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset on "Human Rights and the Rule of Law," Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu highlighted that the TRNC acts in accordance with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions. He mentioned that the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) was established following the ECHR's Xenides-Arestis decision, and over £511 million has been paid to Greek Cypriot citizens to date. In contrast, the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) has not provided any domestic legal remedy for Turkish Cypriots who left property in the south and has even expropriated their properties without notice.

Hasipoğlu also pointed out that the RoC has been arresting businesspeople operating in Northern Cyprus, with the detention of two Hungarian, one German, and one Israeli businessman still ongoing for over six months. He called on the Council of Europe to take steps to prevent these unjust detentions and closely monitor the detention processes.

During the session on "The Risks Posed by Mercenaries, Private Military and Security Companies to Human Rights and the Rule of Law – Call for Comprehensive Regulation," Hasipoğlu drew attention to the RoC's excessive armament activities in recent years. He informed the General Assembly that the lifting of the US arms embargo and the commencement of military training for the Greek Cypriot army, along with the RoC's armament by Israel and the opening of air and sea spaces to the UK, France, Israel, and the US, have turned the island into a floating warship.

Hasipoğlu emphasized that the UN Secretary-General's January report criticized the RoC for deploying military forces in civilian areas and stated that this military armament would not benefit future cooperation talks. He questioned whom these armaments were against and deemed these efforts futile.

Under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Hasipoğlu affirmed that Turkey would never compromise on maintaining peace and tranquility on the island, noting that Turkey has been the guarantor of peace and tranquility on the island since the 1974 Peace Operation.

CANDAN: ISRAEL AND PALESTINE SHOULD ENTER A SOLUTION PROCESS TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER

CTP MP Armağan Candan also spoke on the Gaza Report, one of the agenda items of the PACE General Assembly. Candan emphasized that the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza must be sustainable, noting the thousands of lives lost to date. He called on the international community to do its part in rebuilding Gaza and stressed the need for Israel and Palestine to enter a solution process that recognizes each other's existence.

In another speech at the PACE General Assembly, Candan provided updates on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, announcing that an international meeting hosted by the UN would be held in Switzerland in March, with the participation of both sides in Cyprus and the Guarantor Countries.

Candan stated that the Cyprus issue could no longer remain unresolved and that the current status quo is unsustainable. He called on all parties to strive for a roadmap to be agreed upon at the meeting in March.

The TRNC Parliament delegation will complete their contacts and work at PACE and return home tomorrow.