Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Expats to be granted citizenship in north Cyprus?
Monday, November 9, 2009
By Malcolm Channing

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, recognizes the importance of transparent and open elections. Article 21 states that everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. This right to vote is only given to citizens of a country and so the granting of citizenship in the country you live in is essential.

In the EU, all nationals of Member States are citizens of the EU but “it is for each Member State, having due regard to Community law, to lay down the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality.” So what does an EU citizen have to do in order to gain the right to vote in another EU state? For example in Spain in order to vote an EU citizen needs to be a resident. In accordance with EU law, you should get your residence card within six months from the day you turn in all your paperwork. [1] This seems to be the standard throughout the EU for citizens seeking residency in other Member States. As far as I understand it a Turkish Cypriot by virtue of living in a member state should have these same rights. Furthermore, after a landmark case in 2004, it was established that Turkish Cypriots living in north Cyprus have the right to vote in the south and could be elected to any position in the government except for President. [2]

So, Turkish Cypriots have the right of citizenship in any EU Member State, and if they permanently live there could gain that citizenship within 6 months and along with it the right to vote, thus having a say in matters which affect them. However, a UK citizen does not have reciprocal rights and for them to gain TRNC citizenship and be able to vote would be near enough impossible. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a basic human right would have been denied them. Don’t get excited though, and start applying to the ECHR, along with TRNC citizenship comes the responsibility for National Service. Now, that’s another area of discrimination which the EU probably would not like, apparently only men have to spend two years of their life forced to earning a pittance and potentially risking their life.

Sources:

[1] Spain Expat website
[2] Aziz v. Cyprus

http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/informa ... s/#longone

[-mikkie2-]

What a load of nonsense!

TC's can freely move around the EU by virtue that they are recognised citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, not because of tin pot unrecognised 'trnc'.

And why would british expats want citizenship of the 'trnc'? In any case, residency is not the same as citizenship. An EU national can be resident in another EU country but their voting rights only extend to local and municipal elections in their adopted state and not national elections.

Its amazing how many naive and/or uneducated 'journalists' are out there peddling utter rubish.

[observer]

mikkie2 is essentially right, but in addition to local and municiplal elections, an EU citizen resident in another EU country can also vote in their EU elections.

Fat lot of good it will do, but the right exists.

[Tim Drayton]

EU nationals who are permanently and legally resident in another EU state have the right to vote in municipal and EU elections in that state but NOT in national elections.

[Tony-4497]

Malcolm is Clanning indeed..

and what's this "TRNC" again?

[halil]

EU nationals who are permanently and legally resident in another EU state have the right to vote in municipal and EU elections in that state but NOT in national elections.

they are questioning citizenship ? If they holds the TRNC citizenship they should vote and elected as well . Like Turks from Turkey they holds citizenship of germany , holland and etc... and they can be MP as well . why not for British they have TRNC citizenship .

why lots of TC's lives in UK which they holds TRNC citizenship and they can not elect or elected .

another worries for expats are military service if they holds the citizenship how they can coup with military service.

another funny way of it TC's who has citizenship of TRNC have to go army but they can not vote.