Greek Cypriot Parties Hail Turkish Cypriot Mass Protest

Disy spoke of an attempt on the part of the north’s ruling coalition to “Islamise the occupied territories”.

“What has been happening in the occupied territories in recent days, which have provoked a massive reaction from the Turkish Cypriots, is worrying and should concern us. It constitutes yet another escalation of Turkey’s ongoing effort to erode the Turkish Cypriot community’s secular character,” it said.

It added, “we have repeatedly stressed that the Turkish Cypriots are also victims of Turkey”, and that Turkish Cypriots “can have a European future in a united Cyprus”.

“We must further intensify efforts to resume substantive negotiations for the liberation and reunification of Cyprus on the basis of the United Nations resolutions and the principles and values of the European Union,” it said, referring to a bizonal, bicommunal, federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

Akel, meanwhile, said it “welcomes the mass mobilisations of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, which aim to express the will to defend their democratic and secular identity”.

“The demonstrations, which are taking place under the leadership of Turkish Cypriot trade unions, are directed against any efforts to assimilate and alter their community’s identity caused by external interventions on the part of Turkey.”

It added, “our Turkish Cypriot compatriots’ struggle constitutes a hopeful part in the struggle of all Cypriots to be masters of their homeland”.

“The Greek Cypriots have an obligation to walk together with this proportion of Turkish Cypriots on the path to building peace and achieving a federal solution which unites Cyprus and its people.”

An estimated 13,000 Turkish Cypriots took to the streets of northern Nicosia to protest against legalisation of the wearing of hijabs in Turkish Cypriot public schools on Tuesday night, with high-profile figures from across the Turkish Cypriot political spectrum in attendance.

Cyprus Turkish secondary education teachers’ union (Ktoeos) leader Selma Eylem addressed the crowds at the end of the protest, telling demonstrators, “we have filled the squares once again to say ‘no way’ to the hands which reach out to try to grab our will, our secular society, our schools, our girls, our women, and our future”.

“Society’s will is here. To the government which made this decision, you no longer represent this society. Resign! … We will not recognise your regulation or you! Go away, already, go away!”

The ruling coalition nonetheless pressed ahead and legalised the wearing of hijabs in public schools later on Tuesday evening.

Source: Cyprus Mail