Tufan Erhurman refers fiber optic protocol to the supreme court

Tufan Erhurman has referred the cooperation protocol between Turkey and the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus concerning fiber optic infrastructure to the supreme constitutional court. The agreement involves granting the project to Türk Telecom for the deployment of fiber services to households and businesses. Erhurman, citing article 146 of the constitution, emphasized the necessity of obtaining a formal legal opinion from the attorney general to preserve the state's credibility. The protocol has faced significant opposition from the telecommunications department and labor unions, which held protests outside the parliament during the legislation's voting process. Erhan Arikli, the minister of infrastructure and transport, criticized the referral, claiming it follows the precedent of former leader Mustafa Akinci. Arikli argued that this move could negatively affect relations with Turkey and create uncertainty. The government parties had originally passed the protocol into law, prompting unions to seek intervention from the presidency.