The first week of nightly protests against the north’s ruling coalition’s decision to legalise the wearing of hijabs by children at public schools drew to a close on Friday, with fires lit outside the north’s ‘parliament’ for the fifth day in a row.
It was the turn of Guven Bengihan, the chairman of the Cyprus federation of workers’ and labourers’ unions (Kief) to address the crowd, and he used his speech to address the last two weeks’ developments with regard to the hijab law.
“We made history on these streets on April 8. We made history on these streets to say no to the interventions made against our identity, our culture, our lifestyle, our democratic and secular education system, and we stood up for our teachers on these streets,” he said, making reference to last week’s protest which drew 13,000 Turkish Cypriots onto the streets.
“We showed solidarity and we showed fight, but while this country’s true patriots were fighting for its future on these streets, its government, the cabinet, unfortunately, while we were protesting, changed the law upon the instructions they received and by pledging allegiance,” he said.
He continued his speech, making clearer his position that the hijab law was imposed on the Turkish Cypriots by Turkey’s government and its ruling AK Party, colloquially known as the “AKP” to its deriders.
“They did not listen to the voices of the people of this country. They did not listen to their reactions. Who did they listen to? The AKP’s imposition, to pledging allegiance to the AKP, to surrender to the AKP. Shame on them! Shame on them,” he said, with boos ringing around the crowd.
He went on to warn the ruling coalition that they “cannot receive the support of the people” and that they will “be made to pay at the ballot box” when elections come.
“Because while the real patriots of this country struggle for its future, those who labelled us as Greek Cypriot lovers, as enemies of the religion and enemies of Turkey cooperated with the government of this country and tried to divide us.”
However, he said, unwavering support for the alleged positions of Turkey’s government may not win loyalty in return, with the comments made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s advisor Oktay Saral about the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel in Bengihan’s opinion evidence of this.
“Those who remained obedient and remained silent in the face of those who called their own people enemies and Greek Cypriot lovers have seen in these days that when [Turkey] is done with them, they insult those who obey them in the same way,” he said.
He went on to describe Saral’s comments as “impudent” and “rude”.
“People who do not know the people of this country, the patriots of this country, the centuries-long fight for existence in these land which we gave, think they have the right to insult us.”
He also made reference to the strike which began at Trikomo’s Bekirpasha high school on Friday over “pressure” being put on them by the north’s ‘education ministry’ in the wake of the law change and teachers’ refusal to implement it, saying “did they think our teachers were helpless? We stand by our teachers and will continue to stand by them”.
In addition to Bengihan’s speech, there were also poetry recitals and musical performances at the event, with protests set to continue on Monday and every weekday evening until April 28, the deadline teachers and their supporters have set the ruling coalition to change the law before measures escalate.
Earlier on Friday, Cyprus Turkish teachers’ trade union (Ktos) leader Burak Mavis also confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that next week, the nightly protests will move around the island.
Monday’s protest is set to take place in Kyrenia, while Wednesday’s protest will take place in Famagusta and Thursday’s protest will take place in Morphou. The protests will return to Nicosia on Tuesday and Friday.
Click here to change your cookie preferences