Turkish Cypriots protest Turkish-backed austerity steps

Thousands of Turkish Cypriots marched on Wednesday against Ankara-inspired spending cuts as mounting dissent strained ties with Turkey.

More than 25,000 protesters, angry about what they believe are efforts by Turkey to exert more control over the Turkish Cypriots, gathered at Inonu Square in north Nicosia in what is believed to be one of the largest demonstrations ever in the breakaway state.

Many waved banners reading, “This is our country, let’s run it ourselves” and “Take your hands off Turkish Cypriots”.

Others waved flags of the Republic of Cyprus, something that sparked the ire of Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan when it happened in a previous demonstration in January.

 



The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.