Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Military (Amendment) Draft Law

On the Right to Conscientious Objection

(09.01.2019) An amendment of the military law have been submitted to the Parliament of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This is intended to regulate conscientious objection.

The law provides for conscientious objectors living in the north of Cyprus to fulfill the conscription through conducting civilian service within the armed forces without being subject to military training or through conducting a substitute service in a public institution to which they will be assigned
by the military forces.

Regulations on the duration of the service are not included in the bill. As far as can be seen from the bill, this is left to the implementing regulations of the Prime Minister.

Northern Cyprus: Assembly to Debate Draft Bill on Conscription

(08.01.2019) Following the case of conscientious objector Halil Karapaşaoğlu, who has been fined for refusing to present himself for military service, a draft bill concerning amendments to military law is being presented to the TRNC Assembly for debate. The new law provides for two options for Turkish Cypriots who do not want to serve in the armed forces: to provide a civil service in the army according to their capabilities, professional skills and educational background, or to be employed by the armed forces in public institutions for the public interest.

Halil Karapaşaoğlu

Poetry, War and Resistance in Cyprus

(08.01.2019) All over the world, independent artists and journalists are being harassed, insulted, jailed and even murdered for doing their job, speaking truth to power. While occasionally one of these men or women becomes a cause célèbre in the global media, so many more slip under our collective radar in the daily onslaught of news we endure each day. One such case is that of Halil Karapaşaoğlu, a poet and activist in Cyprus.

Another disappointment in the northern part of Cyprus

Conscientious Objector Halil Karapaşaoğlu sentenced

(04.01.2019) Wie EBCO bereits am 2. Januar 2019 berichtete, fand gestern vor dem Militärgericht in Nikosia (Güvenlik Kuvvetleri Mahkemesi) das Verfahren gegen den türkisch-zypriotischen Kriegsdienstverweigerer Halil Karapaşaoğlu statt. Es ging um vier Fälle, in denen er in den letzten Jahren nicht zum Reservedienst bei der Armee der selbsternannten „Türkischen Republik Nordzypern“ erschienen ist. Unmittelbar vor der mündlichen Verhandlung wurde ihm eine weitere, fünfte Anklage mit dem gleichen Strafvorwurf übergeben.