The recent visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the north was raised on Monday at the European Parliament, during the first day of the plenum.

A proposal was approved for the political parties to make a statement on the visit, before the parliament’s final report on Turkey was approved on Wednesday.

The Cypriot MEPs agreed to submit an oral amendment to the report prepared by standing rapporteur for Turkey Nacho Sánchez Amor.

Erdogan’s visit was raised by Elam MEP Geadis Geadi, who belongs to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.

Geadi said that Erdogan arrived in the north on Saturday, “sending a message of consolidation of the occupation” and placing “another Turkish seal on the island”.

He said Erdogan’s stance “not only does not show the required respect for the principles and values ​​advocated by the European Union, but it also shows disrespect for the entire European family, since it constitutes a clear provocation, a violation of international law and international legitimacy.”

Geadi said that the European Parliament should react by condemning the visit “in the strongest possible way”.

He also requested that the parliament accepted an issue to be registered under the title “President Erdogan’s illegal visit to the occupied areas of Cyprus and the escalating threats against the Republic of Cyprus”.

However, Geadi’s proposal was dismissed.

Diko MEP Costas Mavrides, who belongs to the Alliance of Socialists-Democrats, said his group had proposed that the political groups express their opinions without a resolution.

This proposal was accepted.

Mavrides furthermore expressed, on behalf of his group, “our strong commitment to submit an oral amendment to the rapporteur for the 2023 and 2024 committee reports on Turkey, during the vote on Wednesday”.

European People’s Party MEP Loucas Fourlas said the proposal for a ‘one round speaker’ without a resolution was agreed to be held with the support of the EPP.

Regarding the amendment, Fourlas said it had been agreed that it would be submitted jointly, so that it is incorporated in Amor’s report.

Fourlas told the press that there was an intense effort to include various amendments in the report for the reunification of Cyprus and to demonstrate that the problem was not between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, but was an issue of foreign occupation.

Discussions will take place on Tuesday evening and the voting will be held on Wednesday.