Minister offers hope to reluctant Cypriots
Cypriot citizenship is a privilege, but anyone determined to renounce it can do so, a government official in Nicosia promised, following vociferous protests by men automatically granted citizenship last year who now fear they may have to serve over two years in the island’s army. Interior Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou promised on Saturday that he would accept any such renunciation, while stressing that he disapproved of the idea. «Only people who feel it is an honor should become Greek-Cypriots,» he said. «Even more so, as our country is under partial occupation and our people are fighting for their survival. Whoever considers citizenship a burden and a chore should not accept it.» There is concern among men with Cypriot mothers and non-Cypriot fathers that they could serve in the National Guard for 26 months. This follows the passing of a legislative amendment in December that automatically, and retroactively, confers Cypriot citizenship on residents of Cyprus born to a Cypriot mother and foreign father on or after August 16, 1960.
