Turkish Cypriots protest hijab law as Erdogan visits amid fears of ‘Islamisation’ and corruption cover-ups

Several thousand Turkish Cypriots took to the streets of Nicosia on Friday to protest a new regulation allowing Islamic headscarves in secondary schools—part of a growing backlash against Turkiye’s perceived imposition of religious and political influence over the breakaway north.

The March regulation, introduced in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)—recognised only by Turkiye—permits high school pupils to wear hijabs, with middle schools deciding independently. The move followed viral footage of a hijab-wearing eighth-grader reportedly barred from school, sparking outrage.

Kıbrıs’ta, Erdoğan tarafından yaptırılan saray, adada bitmek bilmeyen kara para, uyuşturucu ticareti, Akp politikaları, başörtüsü mevzusu ve mafya sistemi protesto ediliyor. | 00:59 pic.twitter.com/QN1RBfxL8j

— postmodern (@postmodeern) May 2, 2025

Critics see the measure as an attack on secularism in a society where most Muslims do not practise openly. “Granting exceptions to religious symbols threatens children’s development,” Burak Mavis, head of the teachers’ union told AFP. Civil society leaders, opposition figures, and over 100 organisations backed the rally.

The new Presidential Complex of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been opened with the participation of TRNC President Ersin Tatar and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. pic.twitter.com/a0pprXKAt5

— Y.T.C (@Young_Turk_Cyp) May 3, 2025

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a visit to the north yesterday, doubled down. “If you try to mess with our girls’ headscarves… you will find us against you,” he warned. His ally, TRNC leader Ersin Tatar, defended the law as protecting students’ rights.

Erdogan’s trip, his first since reelection, was meant to showcase Turkiye’s backing for the TRNC through the inauguration of a lavish, Ankara-funded government complex. But it was overshadowed by the 1 May assassination of Cemil Onal in the Netherlands.

Onal, a former aide to murdered casino boss Halil Falyali, had accused Ankara-linked officials of turning northern Cyprus into a hub for illegal gambling and money laundering. His killing reignited concerns that Erdogan’s deepening influence in the TRNC extends beyond religion—to silencing dissent and shielding corruption.

READ: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President, Greek Cypriot leader hold talks on Cyprus issue