Skip to main content

Erdoğan Former Aide Calls for New Cyprus "Operation" Amid Escalating Tensions

A former chief advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ignited a firestorm by suggesting a new military intervention in Cyprus, dramatically escalating tensions between Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot community over issues of identity, secularism, and political interference. Aydın Ünal, also a former AKP (the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party) lawmaker, wrote in the YeniŞafak newspaper, "To protest against the headscarf in Cyprus is blatant treason against Turkishness, Islam, and the Cyprus struggle. Fifty-one years later, launching another 'Peace Operation' in Cyprus, saving Cyprus seems inevitable." The 'Peace Operation' refers to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, which led to the de facto division of the island.

Ünal's call for military action, framed around recent debates concerning a new regulation allowing headscarves in schools in Northern Cyprus, has drawn sharp condemnation from Turkish Cypriots. Critics labeled his remarks a "threat," an attempt to "legitimize violence against civilians," and interference with the "democratic will" of the community. His article described the situation as a "national security threat" and used terms like "internal invasion," seen as deeply insulting.

This inflammatory statement comes amid a series of controversies straining relations. Experienced politician Serdar Denktaş warned Turkish Cypriots to be cautious, sensing a "hidden plan" behind recent events. This plan, according to Denktaş, involves a systematic effort to undermine the secular identity and political autonomy of the Turkish Cypriot community. Referring to both the headscarf crisis and recent insults directed at the internationally unrecognized TRNC's appointed Prime Minister, Ünal Üstel, by another Turkish Presidential Chief Advisor, Oktay Saral, Denktaş urged citizens: "Bury your anger towards the vile words for a while... Let us prove together that we can maintain our ties with Turkey but succeed in protecting our own identity and culture."

Saral had reportedly called Üstel a "Rumcu Boşbakan" (Greek-lover PM) after Üstel removed a controversial imam from duty. The term' Rumcu Boşbakan' is a derogatory term used to imply that Üstel is sympathetic to Greek interests, which is a serious accusation in the Cyprus issue. Following this, reports surfaced that Üstel traveled—conflicting accounts suggest Istanbul rather than the initially reported Ankara—ostensibly to meet Turkish officials, yet no meetings were confirmed, and Ankara issued no condemnation of Saral's remarks.

The headscarf regulation itself is a focal point of the conflict. Organizations like Bağımsızlık Yolu (Independence Path) argue the issue is being misused. General Secretary Umut Ersoy stated the regulation enables "child instrumentalization (brainwashing/using children for religious propaganda)" and that proponents demand "privilege, not equality." He, along with colleagues Celal Özkızan and Nazen Şansal, argued the debate isn't about religious freedom for adults but about secular education, child rights, and resisting the imposition of political Islam. They advocate removing compulsory religious classes in favor of elective, comprehensive courses on religion taught neutrally and stress the need to address children's fundamental rights to safe schools and transport before focusing on headscarves, for a few. Şansal highlighted psychologists' warnings about potential discrimination and peer pressure from school regulation.

The situation has evoked memories of past interference. Lefkoşa Mayor Mehmet Harmancı recalled how former TRNC President Mustafa Akıncı was allegedly threatened, including his family, to withdraw from the 2020 elections, lamenting politicians' silence at the time. Now the scales are clearly tipping towards Tatar," Harmancı commented, suggesting current events are merely a "trailer" for more significant interventions.

Adding to the charged atmosphere, the TRNC's Religious Affairs Directorate condemned journalist Serhat İncirli for wearing a turban and robe on his TV show to satirize political scandals, calling it an "insult" to religious symbols and threatening legal action.

Collectively, the new incidents paint a picture of a Turkish Cypriot community feeling increasingly pressured by external actors linked to Ankara, pushing back against perceived attempts to reshape their secular identity and undermine their political autonomy through insults, regulations, and now, even thinly veiled threats of military intervention.

Photo: Özgür Gazete Kıbrıs


Popular posts from this blog

Sovereignty as Spectacle: Turkish Cypriot Researcher Critiques Grand Opening of the Northern Cyprus New "Republican Campus"

On Saturday, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is not recognized internationally, officially launched its new "Republican Campus." The first construction phase features the new Presidential Building and Parliament Building, inaugurated during a grand ceremony attended by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Dubbed by critics as a "show of sovereignty," the event, alongside the concurrent Teknofest technology festival, has drawn criticism from Turkish Cypriot researcher-writer Mete Hatay for its political undertones and symbolic messaging. Hatay, a noted peace researcher affiliated with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), argues that the openings were not merely about inaugurating buildings but about constructing symbols of dominance under the guise of sovereignty. Hatay describes the events as meticulously staged platforms for political agendas. "Today in Northern Cyprus, it wasn't just buildings that were opened; symbols w...

Cyprus Archbishop's Easter Message Lost in Translation, Sparking Controversy

A mistranslation of Cyprus' Orthodox Archbishop Georgios' Easter message has ignited a new wave of tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the divided island. Turkish Cypriot media outlets reported that the Archbishop called for "expelling the Turks and saving the homeland," prompting swift condemnation from Turkish Cypriot political figures, including opposition leader Tufan Erhürman. According to Kıbrıs Postası 's bulletin published on April 20, 2025, Archbishop Georgios issued an Easter message urging "Greece, Southern Cyprus, and all Hellenism to make a coordinated effort to expel the Turks and save the homeland." The report further claimed the Archbishop stated there was "no possibility of making any more concessions" in the current situation. In response, Tufan Erhürman , leader of the social democrat Republican Turkish Party (CTP), issued a strongly-worded statement criticizing what he called "discriminatory and pr...

Is Turkey's New Rising Political Star's Future in Danger?

In a development that could dramatically alter Turkey's political landscape, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's presidential ambitions face a serious challenge as pro-government sources report his university diploma may soon be invalidated. According to prominent pro-government journalist Abdulkadir Selvi, Istanbul University is expected to complete a report today that could lead to the cancellation of Imamoglu's diploma, effectively disqualifying him from running for president of Turkey. Critical Findings in University Investigation The investigation centers around allegations that Imamoglu's lateral transfer from American University of Kyrenia to Istanbul University violated educational regulations. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has already issued a report claiming that American University of Kyrenia was not recognized by YÖK at the time Imamoglu made his transfer. "Istanbul University's investigation has been completed, and the...