KTBB: "If the Practice Ensures Equal Conditions for All Religions, the ECHR Does Not Find a Violation"
The Cyprus Turkish Bar Association (KTBB) has submitted a legal assessment report to the Prime Ministry regarding the controversial amendment to the Disciplinary Regulation, which has led to major debates and disruptions in the education system by allowing young girls to attend school with headscarves.
Bar Association Submits Report to Prime Ministry
On March 24, 2025, the KTBB submitted its report titled Legal Assessment and Recommendations on the Secondary Education Disciplinary Regulation to the Prime Ministry. The report asserts that the Council of Ministers has "abused its legislative authority" and emphasizes that "any practice must ensure equal conditions for all religions." The Bar Association has called for the regulation to be revoked.
Published on the KTBB's official website, the report states:
"The Cyprus Turkish Bar Association has submitted its legal assessment and recommendations regarding the Disciplinary Regulation on Rules to be Followed Inside and Outside Secondary Schools and High Schools, which has sparked public debate, to the Prime Ministry for the information of the Council of Ministers."
"Council of Ministers Has Abused Its Legislative Authority"
The written report outlines the original regulation, the situation before 2025, the contents and implications of the 2025 amendment, relevant provisions of the TRNC Constitution, the TRNC Constitutional Court's approach to secularism, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It also examines European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings on similar issues and presents the Bar Association's legal conclusions.
The KTBB underlined that the regulation must ensure equal conditions for all religions to comply with international human rights standards. The report also highlighted that, in previous ECtHR rulings, no violation was found when religious practices were allowed under equal conditions for all faiths.
The legal opinion from the KTBB adds further weight to the already heated public debate on the matter, which has caused disruptions in the education sector. The Bar Association’s stance now puts additional pressure on the government to reconsider or withdraw the amendment.
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