Cypriot MP Kyriacos Hadjiyianni denounced violations of fundamental human rights as a result of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation, in his intervention on the issue of international migration on the basis of human rights, during the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2016 Autumn Meeting in Skopje.

Hadjiyianni noted the progress in the negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot community leaders on the talks on Cyprus question, saying that four of the six negotiating chapters have almost closed, since convergences emerged in longitudinal differences. However, he pointed out that the two remaining chapters that differences remain are relate to safety and territory.

Noting that only Turkey from the three guarantor powers insists on maintaining anachronistic guarantees, Hadjiyianni urged Turkey to give up its claim, stressing that, as an EU Member State, Cyprus does not need guarantees with intervention rights.

On the issue of immigration, Hadjiyianni noted that migration flows are still treated with increased scepticism from a part of the public in the OSCE region. He added that the interconnection of terrorism with migration has introduced security parameters in the debate, at the expense of a more effective approach based on human rights.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN-led talks have been underway since May 2015, aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof.

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