The Institute of Studies for Politics and Democracy (ISPD) has published a new policy analysis by Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias, Chief Editor of The Levant Files and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Nicosia, examining the political upheaval that has gripped the Turkish Cypriot community since early April 2026.
The study, offers a detailed account of a dual institutional crisis unfolding in the internationally unrecognized TRNC. At its centre is the decision by the UBP–DP–YDP coalition, led by "prime minister" Ünal Üstel, to issue a Decree with the Force of "Law" suspending the semi-annual cost-of-living allowance for public servants and pensioners — a move made after the relevant bill was rejected by the assembly. The executive maneuver provoked an immediate and forceful public response: an indefinite general strike, large-scale protests in occupied Nicosia, the occupation of the new parliament building, violent confrontations with police, and a subsequent ruling by the "constitutional court" curtailing the executive's decree-making authority.
Running in parallel, the analysis documents an organized wave of platform-based cyber-attacks — reportedly channeled through the Indian firm Aiplex Software — targeting opposition journalists, media outlets, and political figures, with evidence pointing to internal coordination among those responsible.
Dr. Stelgias analyses the chronology, institutional dimensions, and political implications of both crises for a Greek Cypriot readership.
The full study is available in Greek at the ISPD website: https://ispd.org.cy/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/stelgias_apr26-final.pdf