Sibel Tatar: "If Not for the Planned Opening, I Would Have Joined the Protest"

In a heartfelt and conscientious statement shared on social media, Sibel Tatar expressed her concerns as both a mother and a devout Turkish Cypriot woman. She explained that she could not participate in the protest walk, as it coincided with the opening of the "Cyprus Gates and Chests Museum," an event she had been working on for months. She stated, “If it weren’t for this opening, I would have joined the walk with the people.”

Sibel Tatar made it clear that she is not against headscarves, but rather, respects them. She also recalled her opposition to the exclusion of headscarf-wearing students from Turkish universities in the past. However, she emphasized that the issue at hand concerns underage girls, whose parents often guide them to wear headscarves, especially when attending schools where portraits of Atatürk hang in the classrooms. Tatar reminded the public that there is already an alternative school in the TRNC, the Hala Sultan Theology College, for religious education.

In her statement, Sibel Tatar clarified that she was writing out of her own faith and conscience, noting, “As a Turkish Cypriot woman whose father is a Haji and who went to Umrah in January, I am writing this.”

Her words shifted the debate from a political context to a more humane and societal perspective, with her poignant question, “Where are the happy children?” emerging as one of the most striking and thought-provoking expressions in light of the ongoing developments.