Cyprus Leaders Stress Human Rights for Mixed-Marriage Children, Rejecting Political Leverage

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has framed the status of children from mixed marriages, Maronite families and pupils at the Greek‑Cypriot school in Rizokarpaso as a human‑rights issue that must not be politicised. In a social‑media post he said the matters are high on his agenda and that steps are being taken to resolve them gradually, avoiding public confrontation. Families, associations and athletes report obstacles such as loss of scholarships, visa denial and bans from international competitions. Erhurman noted that when the Greek side raises concerns about the Rizokarpaso pupils he does not attach political conditions, echoing UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’s inclusion of the issue among seven confidence‑building measures. The Republic of Cyprus government maintains that citizenship for children of mixed marriages is governed by legal provisions and EU status, not a confidence‑building measure. Applications are examined under established criteria; since 2004 5,176 Turkish Cypriots have received citizenship, 331 since the 2024 revision, with cabinet approval required for children born in Cyprus to a foreign parent.