Animal producers in the occupied north entered the eighth day of their protests on Monday, joined by a growing chorus of unions, civil society organisations, and political parties, Turkish Cypriot media reported.
The movement gained momentum despite a last-minute government decree postponing a planned 24-hour strike by the Air Traffic Controllers’ Union, citing national security concerns.
Frustration mounted as Mustafa Naimoğulları, president of the Animal Producers and Breeders Association, slammed the government’s decision to import frozen meat as irrelevant to their core demand: affordable, domestic meat.
Meanwhile, the protests outside the “prime ministry” intensified. Union leaders like Güven Bengihan of the Turkish Cypriot Public Servants Union (KTAMS) and Ahmet Serdaroğlu of the Public Workers Union (Kamu-İş) accused the administration in the occupied north of neglecting the people’s needs and prioritising special interests.
Chants of “Government Resign” echoed through the crowd, underlining the growing tensions.
Bengihan and Serdaroğlu, along with other union representatives, emphasised their presence not just in support of the animal producers, but for the future of the “country” itself. They decried mismanagement and threats to their culture and identity.
Moving beyond the initial demand for cheaper meat, union officials pointed out that the government’s policies create business opportunities for a privileged few rather than supporting domestic producers and the broader economy.
The combined force of animal producers, unions, and civil society organisations marched to the “prime ministry,” with their banners and slogans demanding change.
(With information from Kibris Postasi and Yeni Duzen. Picture from Kibris Postasi)Protests. animal producers, protests, unions
