North Cyprus announces plans to end “double jeopardy” conscription for Turkish Cypriots in Turkey who had already served in the armed forces there (Photo by Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognised by Turkey, announced plans on Thursday to abolish the practice of “double jeopardy” conscription.
This refers to the requirement for Turkish Cypriot men living in Turkey, who are also Turkish citizens, to complete military service both in Turkey and in the north of Cyprus, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
A bill drafted by National Unity Party (UBP) Deputy Resmiye Canaltay outlined this move, which was published in Northern Cyprus’s official gazette and is now open for public consultation.
Currently, Turkish Cypriot men living in Turkey and holding Turkish citizenship are obliged to serve in the military in both Northern Cyprus and Turkey, effectively requiring them to fulfil conscription twice.
Canaltay’s bill proposes exempting these individuals from military service in Northern Cyprus, but with the condition that failure to serve in Northern Cyprus would forfeit their right to work in the public sector there.
The bill, however, does not address the issue of conscientious objection, which is not recognised under current North Cyprus law, according to Cyprus Mail.
As a result, refusal to engage in military service is automatically treated as a criminal act.
A bill proposed last year that would have legalised conscientious objection was rejected by MPs from the ruling coalition, citing ongoing military activities in the Republic of Cyprus as a key reason for their opposition.
UBP MP Sunat Atun said at the time, “It is not possible for us to be in a situation which opens the door to conscientious objection,” citing concerns over militarism and increased arms purchases in the south of Cyprus, which is administered by the ethnic Greek-led internationally recognised government of the island.
This followed the case of Mustafa Hurben, a conscientious objector who was jailed after refusing to pay a fine for his refusal to serve.
In September, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) dismissed Turkey’s appeal against its ruling that the human rights of another Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector, Murat Kanatli, had been violated when he was prosecuted and jailed in the north for refusing conscription.
The court ordered Turkey to pay Kanatli €9,000 in damages and €2,363 in legal costs.
A spokesperson for the Council of Europe later confirmed that Turkey’s request for the case to be referred to the ECtHR’s Grand Chamber had been rejected, making the original ruling final.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
The Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in 1983, which is recognised only by Turkey, has led to Turkey advocating for a two-state solution, ensuring that Turkish Cypriots are not a minority in any future power-sharing arrangement.
The most recent peace talks, which took place in 2017, ended in failure.
