Former Golden Dawn member Giannis Lagos.
A former Golden Dawn member that is now an independent Member of the European Parliament has been one of the very few people to veto a resolution condemning Turkey's illegal actions in Cyprus.
The European Parliament's resolution against Turkey's partial opening of Varoshia in occupied northern Cyprus was decisive.
On Thursday, 631 MEP's voted in favor of a resolution condemning Turkey's actions that violate UN Security Council Resolutions 500 and 2483. Of the 693 voting MEP's, 59 abstained and only three voted against.
"We had a great win today against Turkish aggression in the European Parliament! MEP’s condemn Turkey’s activities in Varosha, Cyprus, and call for sanctions against Turkey!" said MEP Emmanouil Fragkos of Elliniki Lisi (Greek Solution).
One of the three voting against the resolution was Giannis Lagos, a former Golden Dawn member convicted by the Greek courts for participating in a criminal organization.
Lagos has been sentenced in Greece for 13 years and 8 months in prison for being a leader of Golden Dawn, a Far Right organization that once had several MP's in the Greek Parliament.
He is still based in Brussels as his MEP immunity has not been withdrawn.
Lagos, a so-called patriot, reasoned his decision because of "Germany's hypocritical funding of Turkey," stating that "Turkey cannot stop collecting some signatures."
While vetoing the resolution, he called for the withdrawal of Turkey's occupying troops from Cyprus, a request that is included in the resolution he vetoed.
The other two MEPs who vetoed the resolution alongside the former Golden Dawn MEP was Ivan David from Czechia and Dutchman Marcel de Graaf.
The resolution called "the European Council to maintain its unified position on Turkey’s illegal actions and impose tough sanctions in response."
"MEPS regret that the Turkish authorities have endorsed the two-state solution for Cyprus and reiterate their support for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal status," the European Parliament statement continued.
"They also call on the EU to play a more active role in bringing the negotiations under UN auspices to a successful conclusion," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Turkey and the illegal administration in northern Cyprus dismissed on Friday the European Parliament's resolution as "nonbinding."
"We completely reject the nonbinding resolution adopted by the (members of the European Parliament) on our country and [northern Cyprus]," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy said in a statement.