Turkish Cypriots from mixed marriages protest in the south demanding for Cypriot citizenship

Children born to mixed marriages between Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals on Monday held a demonstration outside the Nicosia District Administration offices in south Cyprus, demanding that they be issued a Cyprus citizenship.

The crowd gathered outside the offices, chanting slogans in Turkish and holding placards.

Greek Cypriot police confirmed the protest concerns the Cyprus government’s refusal to issue identity cards. 

The demonstration follows a Supreme Constitutional Court ruling in April that rejected granting Cypriot citizenship to children born from mixed marriages between Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals.

Thousands of children born to mixed marriages in Cyprus, particularly those involving Turkish Cypriots and Turkish nationals, face significant barriers in acquiring Cypriot citizenship, leaving many effectively stateless and without access to basic rights and services.

The issue stems from a 1999 amendment to the Republic of Cyprus’s nationality law, which stipulates that children born to a Cypriot parent and a non-Cypriot who entered or resides illegally in Cyprus are not automatically granted citizenship. Instead, their citizenship is subject to the discretion of the Council of Ministers. This provision disproportionately affects children born in the occupied north, where the Republic considers all non-Cypriot residents as having entered or resided illegally, due to the lack of government control in that area.

Approximately 3,500 children with one Cypriot parent remain in citizenship limbo due to these legislative gaps, according to a report by the Cyprus Children’s Commissioner.

The situation has prompted criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that the current practices violate children’s rights to nationality and family unity.

Since 2007, only 1,923 applications for citizenship from children of mixed marriages have been approved, with approximately 100 approvals per year.