General strike and civil unrest in northern Cyprus over cost-of-living adjustments

Turkish Cypriot trade unions have launched a general strike and protests in northern Nicosia in response to a government decree suspending cost-of-living adjustments (ATA). On April 7, 2026, protesters breached the parliament building, resulting in clashes with police, injuries, and arrests, including that of El-Sen president Ahmet Tugcu, who was subsequently released. The government, led by Prime Minister Unal Ustel, justifies the measure as an economic necessity, while unions demand the full withdrawal of the decree and the referral of the bill to a parliamentary committee. Health sector unions, including TIP-IS and KTHES, are protesting despite a 60-day ban on strikes in hospitals imposed by the administration. The opposition party CTP walked out of parliamentary sessions in protest of the police response. Unions remain firm in their demands, calling for early elections and threatening continued industrial action until the government retreats from its policies.