Question for written answer E-005332/2015 to the Commission Rule 130 Emmanouil Glezos (GUE/NGL), Eleni Theocharous (PPE), Stelios Kouloglou (GUE/NGL), Costas Mavrides (S&D), Demetris Papadakis (S&D), Sofia Sakorafa (GUE/NGL), Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE/NGL) and Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE/NGL)

Subject: Illegal changes to place names

The troops occupying the part of under Turkish occupation have illegally enforced changes to place names, such as Yenierenköy instead of Gialousa and Tatlisu instead of . However, places must be named in an administrative deed by the public authority of the sovereign State.

The Turks have even changed the names of the islands of Imbros and Tenedos that were ceded to in 1922. Imbros is now called Gökçeada and Tenedos is called Bozcaada and the villages of Panagia and Schoinoudi have now been renamed Çınarlı and Dereköy respectively. This was forbidden under the Treaty of Lausanne, Article 14 of which granted the aforementioned two islands ‘special administrative organisation’.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

What specific measures does it intend to take to restore the place names in the occupied part of Cyprus?

Why, given that it is utterly unacceptable for the European Commission to endorse terms and names that infringe and undermine the rights and demands for law to be restored in EU Member States, did it use the illegal name of an occupied village (‘Syrianohoroi/Yayla’) in its answer to question E- 008509/2014? Is that acceptable?

As a candidate country, will Turkey have to answer for:

1. Its ongoing occupation of and disregard for the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus?

2. Its infringement of the Treaty of Lausanne at the expense of the Christian residents of Imbros and Tenedos?

1056719.EN PE 554.556