Erdoğan tells protesters to oppose Islamization in northern Cyprus and they will fail | Cyprus

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that protesters in Northern Cyprus are not "sowing the seeds of hatred" in Ankara's efforts toward Islamic attempts, one of the most secular Muslim societies in the Islamic world.

Leaders had a tough attitude towards Turkish Cypriots during Saturday's whirlwind visit to Turkish occupied territory, demonstrating on his publicly endorsed policies, especially controversial laws that allow headscarves to be worn in schools.

"Those who try to destroy our brotherhood and create rifts between us, sow the seeds of hatred ... will not succeed," he said, when he unveiled in a new presidential residence and parliament that he claimed to be in the country.

Later, when he spoke at a technical festival, he further told the union against the measure: "If you try to mess with the headscarf of our girls in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, I'm sorry, you'll find that we're against you."

On Friday, thousands of Turkey’s Cypriots took to the streets of Nicosia, the country’s war-stage capital, chanting “stay away from our land” when condemning legislation.

In a speech before a group of people in the compound of the Turkish Embassy, ​​Selma Eylem, who is in charge of the Turkish secondary education teachers union in Cyprus, said the regulation was imminent, an urgent need to impose political Islam on a society, not only in its inherent identity but also in its inherent way of life.

“We once again told the representative of AKP (Erdoğan’s Islamic roots party): Put your hands on our children and stay away from our society!”

Erdoğan had hoped to use the trip to show Ankara's ongoing support for a community, and in 1974, when Turkish troops were ordered to invade Cyprus, it sought rescue and occupied the third place in the north.

The military operation was followed by the right-wing, Athens-backed coup, aiming to unite the island with Greece. For the past 50 years, the territory has unilaterally declared independence in 1983, but none of the other countries except Türkiye have recognized it.

Prior to the visit, officials said Erdogan's focus will be on the opening of the Gargantuan government complex funded by Ankara, with the aim of promoting international recognition of isolated entities.

On Saturday, the Turkish president insisted that after decades of peace talks between Greek and Turkey's Cyprus had failed, there was only a "two-state solution" to resolve the longest diplomatic dispute in the West.

"The bilateral solution is a shared vision of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus," he said. "Any new negotiation process must be between the two sovereign states."

Friday's demonstrations came almost after almost daily protests against the Hat Law, organized by more than 100 unions and civil society, many of whom still advocated the island as a dual-zone, a common union of dual-zone associations.

"Part of the reason is due to kemalism, but also to the eighty-two years of British colonial rule that it is by far the most secular Muslim in the world," said Hubert Faustmann, professor of history and political science at the University of Internationalis.

For Turkish Serbs who have long opposed Ankara's expanding influence in the north, the regulation further demonstrates the determination of leaders not only to erode long-held secular traditions, but ultimately to change their identity.

“What we witnessed was cultural conflict,” Fosterman said. “The legislation of the hijab is seen as part of a package of attempts by Erdoğan to relax his community role.”

The rebound showed no signs of easing Turkey's Cyprus seem to have been abolished - even as the leader of the community leader Erdoğan Ally, who believes that the law protects students from discrimination.

“If we are to save ourselves, we have to continue this struggle,” said Elcil, a veteran former unionist.

As thousands of mainland settlers moved to the north, he increasingly lamented that Turkish Cypriots were considered a minority “on our own land.”

"Religion has never been a split point on this island, but after years of Turkish Cypriots who haven't even visited, they want to be a mosque in our school," he added. "Now, more than ever, we need to stand up and let our voices hear our voices."