Cypriot students organize protests against the 1983 declaration of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

On November 13, 2026, students from high schools and technical schools across Cyprus announced plans to hold demonstrations condemning the illegal declaration of the breakaway state in the north, which occurred on November 15, 1983. The student movement, represented by two distinct groups, has organized separate protests to mark the anniversary.

The Pancyprian Coordinating Committee of Students (PSEM) will hold its protest at 11:00 a.m. in Nicosia, marching from the Wholesale Market in Kaimakli toward the Mia Milia checkpoint. Concurrently, the Autonomous Student Movement (EFEN) has organized a separate march starting at 10:30 a.m. from Eleftherias Square, concluding at the Ledra Street crossing. These events serve as a historical commemoration of the 1983 event, which remains a central point of political friction in the divided island.

The Ministry of Education has issued a circular regarding these activities. It explicitly states that students who participate in the PSEM-organized event will not be marked absent from their classes. These protests reflect ongoing student activism concerning the occupation of northern Cyprus and the historical significance of the unilateral declaration of independence by the Turkish-Cypriot leadership four decades ago.