Union of Cypriots


The Union of Cypriots is a Cypriot nationalist, progressive political organization in Cyprus. The Union of Cypriots campaigns for a unitary Cypriot state, the restoration of the constitutional order that was destroyed in Cyprus after the crisis of 1963-64 and the ending of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

History and overview

The Union of Cypriots was previously known as the World Union of Turkish-speaking Cypriots, and its origins root back to a youth organisation called LINOBAMBAKI, one of the formations that led the 2011 Turkish Cypriot protests. It is active in Cyprus as well as in the United Kingdom, where, today, Turkish Cypriot population is bigger than in Cyprus. Unlike most of other Turkish Cypriot political movements, it supports a unitary solution instead of a federal one, concerning the reunification of Cyprus. With the idea of Cyprus belonging to all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the organisation supports turning back to 1960 constitution and reinforcing it more in the line of "one nation, one flag, one homeland and one state" view.
The organization supported Turkish Cypriots who were targeted in the occupied areas of Cyprus, in events such as the prosecution of some community members for hanging the flag of the Republic of Cyprus in 2013, the attacks against the Afrika newspaper by Turkish settlers in 2018, the court cases that were filed against Turkish Cypriot journalists by Turkey in 2019, and the actions against the workers who wanted to cross barricades to enter the free areas in 2020.
In 2019, the Union of Cypriots announced to public its interest in participating in the European Parliament elections independently, but later it was represented by its president, Oz Karahan in the list of Jasmine Movement.
Today, the organization has a variety of committees for different affairs, as well as an educational initiative called "Fazıl Önder Academy". The Union of Cypriots is a member of the International League of Peoples' Struggle, Global Ecosocialist Network, and No to war - No to NATO.