Women who suffered abuse at the hands of Turkish soldiers in 1974 will have the opportunity to share their testimonies with the European Parliament at the end of May, during a visit to Cyprus by the EU Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).

The committee said its aim was to listen to women survivors of war crimes and provide a platform for those who lost husbands and children or still have missing loved ones.

The initiative was spearheaded by Christian Democrat MEP and Disy member Loucas Fourlas, who invited FEMM to Cyprus to bring attention to the crimes committed in 1974 at a European level.

“We cannot forget. We cannot let Turkey’s crimes fade into oblivion (…)”, Fourlas said.

He described the horrific experiences endured by young girls and women – some forced into motherhood, others undergoing procedures out of fear of stigma – stating that more than 800 women were affected and hundreds were executed.

Fourlas stressed that it is time for Europe to “officially acknowledge the horrors suffered by these women, demand justice, and ensure such atrocities are never repeated.” He called for those responsible to be held accountable.

A 1976 European Commission of Human Rights report, adopted by the Council of Europe, details repeated rapes of women of all ages – from 12 to 71 –  “sometimes to such an extent that the victims suffered haemorrhages or became mental wrecks”.