The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday with 597 votes in favour condemning the illegal detention of five Greek Cypriot citizens by Turkish occupation authorities in northern Cyprus.
The resolution denounced Turkey’s continued illegal occupation of northern Cyprus for 51 years as a serious violation of international law and obstacle to peace and EU-Turkey relations.
Resolution passes with 597 votes in favour and no opposition
MEPs condemned the detention since July 2025 of five Greek Cypriot citizens – Antonis Louka, Andreas Kyprianou, Annie Kyprianou, Niki Gregoriou and Gregoris Gregoriou – after they visited their properties in the village of Galatia.
The resolution was adopted with 597 votes in favour, no votes against, and five abstentions at the European Parliament session in Strasbourg.
“The detention of five Greek Cypriot citizens is illegal and politically motivated,” MEPs stated in the resolution.
The Parliament noted that whilst three of the detainees were released under conditions on 10 September, they remain in the occupied territory and cannot return to their homes.
MEPs said the Turkish military occupation regime is attempting to intensify intimidation through “abduction and hostage-taking” targeting people who visit their ancestral properties or appeal to the “Immovable Property Commission” in the occupied areas.
The resolution stressed that the EU has a moral and legal obligation to support the Republic of Cyprus and its citizens, who are also EU citizens.
MEPs called on the European Commission and European External Action Service to take all necessary measures, including considering punitive measures against those responsible.
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