Meet with friends at the Blue Song for our regular Friday afternoon drink. Several of them - particularly Beverley, John, Caroline and Creigan - have lived in Turkey and are interested in the protests. But no particular insider information. Thousands more out on the streets of Istanbul today. But this has happened in the past with nothing resembling civil war resulting. Can be difficult to judge President Erdoğan’s support by looking at activity in the cities as his real strength is in the rural areas.
Interestingly there was a protest today in Lefkoșa in response to the TRNC government’s recent decision to permit female students to wear a hijab if they choose. The complaint is that North Cypriot state school dress codes have not included head coverings and that the change may be presumed to be in response to pressure from the more conservative and religious elements in Türkiye. TRNC schools are secular by choice and should remain so.
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