Government withdraws cost-of-living decrees amid ongoing general strike
The government has stepped back on controversial cost-of-living allowance regulations, withdrawing a series of decree-laws published in the Official Gazette, as a general strike across the country continues.
According to a decision published in the Official Gazette of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus dated April 8, 2026, the Council of Ministers annulled 12 decree-laws that had previously entered into force regarding the 2026 cost-of-living allowance.
The decision effectively reverses wide-ranging arrangements that impacted a broad segment of society, including public employees, pensioners, teachers, and healthcare workers.
The now-withdrawn decrees had introduced new regulations affecting cost-of-living allowance rights across multiple sectors, including the Atatürk Teachers Academy, social insurance and social security beneficiaries, as well as public servants in various fields.
The regulation had envisaged that the cost-of-living difference accruing from January 1, 2026, would be consolidated into two separate periods and applied as a one-off adjustment.
Under the plan, the allowance increase was to be reflected in salaries in April 2026 for three months, and in January 2027 for the remaining nine-month period.
Provisions covering the police organisation, civil defence personnel, and employees of the foundations and religious affairs departments were also included among those cancelled.
Meanwhile, the general strike launched by trade unions is continuing, with unions demanding not only the full cancellation of the decree-laws but also the resignation of the government, maintaining pressure on authorities despite the latest step-back.
The government, on the other hand, is expected to move forward with new legislation, with plans to pass a bill to freeze the cost-of-living allowance if the Republic’s Assembly successfully reconvenes later today.
Yesterday’s session had been suspended after opposition MPs had walked out of the plenary as tensions inside and outside the parliament building had flared.
