Thousands of workers in the north protested against the suspension of the cost-of-living allowance (COLA), with 62 unions declaring an open-ended strike.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of the “government,” rejecting calls for dialogue. The situation has escalated with reinforced security measures and warnings of possible civil disobedience. Unions stress that they will not accept additional economic burdens and say mobilisations will continue.
Thousands of workers from both the public and private sectors gathered early in the morning outside the “parliament,” protesting against the suspension of the COLA payment. As tensions escalated, protesters broke through police barricades and reached the entrance of the building, chanting “government resign.”
The introduction in the “parliamentary plenary” of a bill to cut the COLA payment triggered strong reactions in the north, with 62 unions and organisations announcing an indefinite strike starting today.
Thousands of workers from the public and private sectors gathered early in the morning outside the “parliament,” protesting against the suspension of the COLA payment. In an escalation of tensions, protesters broke through police barricades and reached the entrance of the building, while chants of “government resign” were heard.
The “government” attempted to de-escalate the situation by inviting union leaders to dialogue. However, the move was rejected by protesters, who chanted “we don’t want negotiations, we want resignation,” expressing broader dissatisfaction with the administration’s economic policy.
Tensions Outside The ‘Parliament’
According to the Turkish Cypriot press, after clashes between “police” and protesters, security measures were reinforced with the deployment of additional forces. Tensions remained high throughout the protest, with unions signalling they had no intention of backing down.
At 11:50, a fire truck was brought to the protest site outside the “parliament” and moved toward the crowd as part of efforts to strengthen crowd-control measures.
A meeting between the “government” and the unions ended without results. Addressing the protesters, the general secretary of the teachers’ union, Burak Maviş, said that the “prime minister” would convene his team, adding, “we call on you, we move forward, we go inside,” after which some protesters broke through the police cordon and entered the building. At the same time, extensive clashes were reported between protesters and security forces, with the “police” using pepper spray.
According to the newspaper Yeni Düzen, at 11:59 tensions escalated further when firefighters attempted to use water against protesters, who tried to prevent the intervention by holding the hose. Stones were also thrown toward the “parliament,” while the general secretary of the secondary school teachers’ union, Tahir Gökçebel, was forcibly taken inside the building by members of the “police.”
The clashes continued, with further incidents reported between the president of the secondary school teachers’ union, Selma Eylem, and members of the “police,” reflecting the tense atmosphere at the scene.
What Triggered The Protests
The decision that ignited the reactions is linked to announcements by the “finance minister,” Özdemir Berova, who stated on March 19 that the COLA payment for the first quarter of 2026 would be paid at the end of April, but without any new wage increase until January 2027.
According to Berova, the measure forms part of a package of economic decisions “aimed at maintaining fiscal balance and strengthening market predictability amid difficult economic conditions.”
Warnings Of Further Escalation
The decision to declare a strike was taken after the approval of the “bill” by the relevant “parliamentary committee,” which unions say sparked the reaction, arguing that the “government” is shifting the cost of the economic crisis onto workers.
The 62 unions and organisations warned that if the bill is not withdrawn, they will proceed with an indefinite strike across all sectors, from public services to education.
In a joint statement, the unions made clear they will not comply with any potential decision to ban strikes, stating that they “will not recognise prohibitions” and that if such measures are imposed, they will escalate their actions to the level of civil disobedience.
“We Will Not Accept Impoverishment”
In a written statement, Selma Eylem, president of the secondary school teachers’ union, sharply criticised the policies of the “government,” arguing that practices reducing workers’ purchasing power are unacceptable. The statement said that instead of protecting citizens’ income during the economic crisis, additional burdens are being imposed, adding that unions are proceeding with coordinated strike and protest actions. As part of these measures, all schools remained closed today and no examinations were held.
At the same time, the general secretary of the teachers’ union, Burak Maviş, announced that a general strike would begin on Monday following the advancement of the “bill” concerning the cost-of-living adjustment. He said the decision was taken jointly by all unions as a response to the development.
Similarly, the civil servants’ union announced its participation in the strike, opposing the bill which, it says, undermines the COLA system. The union clarified that from 08:00 in the morning it has implemented strike measures in all workplaces where it is organised, and these will continue until there is a response.
Support for the mobilisation was also expressed by the medical association, which noted that the absence of an allowance increase for nine months would particularly burden low-income households and further worsen living conditions.
From the telecommunications workers’ union, general secretary Ömer Gendik said all unions are moving forward with a general strike and a march toward the “parliament,” stressing that the mobilisations will continue until there is a response.
The journalists’ union noted that the strike does not concern only public sector employees but also directly affects low-paid workers in the private sector, calling for broader support.
Meanwhile, the customs workers’ union announced a general strike in all areas, calling on its members to join the protest.
The opposition People’s Party (Halkın Partisi) described the decision to postpone the COLA increase as a sign of a lack of responsibility and credibility, arguing that the economic crisis can only be managed effectively through a change of “government.”