ATTORNEY-general Alecos Markides yesterday urged Parliament to approve a bill allowing Turkish Cypriots to marry in civil ceremonies by mid April in order to satisfy EU demands.
The Interior Ministry two weeks ago submitted the relevant bill to Parliament, aiming to bring Cyprus into line with European practices.
The 1960 Constitution had no provision for civil marriages. When a law was passed allowing civil marriages a few years ago, Turkish Cypriots were not included because such issues were constitutionally in the domain of the Turkish Cypriot community, leaving those living in the free areas in limbo if they did not want a religious wedding.
The new law would now plug the loophole by extending the right of civil marriage to Turkish Cypriots.
The House Legal Committee yesterday convened to discuss the proposal with Markides, as well as a separate proposal aiming to create a new law to govern all marital issues.
The proposal calls for a simplification of procedures and provides that relevant cases all be handled by the same court.
The Committee reacted favourably to both proposals, but cited certain loose ends, which Law Commissioner George Stavrinakis promised to sort out.
The Attorney-general stressed that the House should approve the bill concerning Turkish Cypriots by mid April, saying Cyprus had already been taken to the European Court of Human Rights for not allowing a Turkish Cypriot to marry his Romanian girlfriend in Cyprus. The government settled out court, paying the couple the cost of a wedding overseas.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
