Women and girl post-conflict trauma in Cyprus: MEPs wrap up delegation visit

MEPs from Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights visited Cyprus to learn about the legacy of conflict and trauma for women and girls, including conflict-related sexual violence.

On 27 and 28 May, the MEPs met representatives of the Cypriot Government, the House of Representatives, and civil society as well as women survivors, in order to hear first-hand experiences of women affected by the 1974 Turkish invasion. Stories of loss, violence, displacement and resilience offer invaluable insights into the lasting impact of conflict on communities and individuals and underscore the need for sustained attention to gender-based injustices.

Statement by the delegation’s chair

Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greece) stated the following after the delegation completed its work.

“We are devastated. Our meetings in Cyprus brought us face to face with a painful and often ignored truth: the widespread gender-based violence, including rape and sexual torture, inflicted on women during and after the 1974 Turkish invasion. Survivors and victims, some as young as 12, endured not only the horrors of war but a society that turned its back on them. After escaping violence, they became refugees in their own country and were met with stigma, silence, financial restriction, secondary victimisation and rejection—even from their families and communities. Some of them opened up their hearts to us for the first time ever, leaving us heartbroken by their testimonies, traumas and experiences, and igniting in us a determination to seek justice on their behalf.

For decades, these women carried their trauma in silence. But recognition came late, and healing is still far from complete. The survivors have called for a Monument for Women Victims of Sexual Violence, which will serve as a place of remembrance, dignity, and truth. The FEMM delegation unanimously supports this initiative. This monument must also serve an educational role, teaching future generations about the atrocities these women endured and the courage they showed in surviving them. We will support them in their fight to turn from victims into victors. Their pain must not be forgotten. It must shape a better future.

We were also asked to support a European Parliament resolution formally recognizing the sexual violence linked to the 1974 occupation. While Parliament has condemned rape and its use as a weapon of war, Cyprus’s unique history demands specific recognition. With Nicosia still the last divided capital in Europe, this is both a moral and historical duty.

We owe it to these women to speak the truth, deliver justice, and ensure that no girl or woman ever suffers in silence again.”

Members of the delegation

Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greece), delegation chair

Loucas Fourlas (EPP, Cyprus)

Anna Maria Cisint (PfE, Italy)

Laurence Trochu (ECR, France)

Giorgos Georgiou (Left, Cyprus) - accompanying member