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A video circulating online shows a member of Cyprus’s Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (MMAD) preventing Greek Cypriot protesters from burning the flag of the so-called "turkish republic of northern cyprus", the self-declared pseudo-state in the occupied north. The incident took place during an anti-occupation protest organized by student groups on July 19 at the St. Dometios checkpoint.
Tensions escalated as police reportedly used tear gas against students and pupils at the event, according to local group DRASIS-KES. The flag-snatching action sparked debate over the police’s role in protecting symbols of the breakaway territory.
Turkish journalist Sefa Karahasan praised the move as a “historic” step by Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, labeling the protesting students “fascists” and framing the police action as part of the Turkish Cypriot “peace operation” narrative. Karahasan’s post drew widespread attention, though he was previously arrested in May 2024 for allegedly holding a fake doctorate from a university in occupied Morphou.
With information from 24news.
