Paphos municipal council votes to rename Kemal Ataturk Street

The municipal council of Paphos, Cyprus, has voted to rename Kemal Ataturk Street in the Moutallos neighborhood to Nikos Kapetanidis Street. The proposal was introduced by DISY councillor Nina Gkaraklidou, who argued that the name of the founder of the Republic of Turkey causes emotional distress to local residents, many of whom are Greek Cypriot refugees from northern Cyprus or descendants of Pontic Greeks. Moutallos was historically a Turkish Cypriot district, and many streets there are named after Turkish figures. While the motion passed with majority support, municipal councillor Andreas Grigoriadis publicly criticized the procedure, arguing that the item was treated as urgent without sufficient institutional justification. He noted that the municipality was already developing a new framework for street naming policies. Conversely, the Nikos Kapetanidis Action Association praised the decision as a symbolic act of justice for the victims of the Pontic Greek Genocide. The name change is expected to be implemented in due course following the formal approval by the council.