Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Armağan Candan brought the issue of the rights of children from mixed marriages to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg.

According to his written statement, Candan raised the issue during the question and answer session following the annual activity speech delivered by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, at the PACE General Assembly.

Candan asked the Commissioner whether he was aware of the problem that children born to mixed marriages—where one parent is a Turkish Cypriot and the other a Turkish citizen—are denied citizenship of the “Republic of Cyprus.”

He described the policy as inconsistent and discriminatory, stating that it deprives thousands of Cypriot children of one of the most fundamental human rights, citizenship.

Candan also stated that in the near future, numerous applications could be brought before the European Court of Human Rights due to this rights violation.

The CTP MP emphasized that these children were born and raised in Cyprus, consider the island their homeland, and that this is a humanitarian issue which should be addressed beyond politics.

In response, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty assured Candan that he intends to visit the island soon to conduct a more in-depth study on human rights issues.