Dialogos

Documentary Exposes Turkish State's Control Mechanisms in Cyprus

Published January 4, 2026, 06:04
Documentary Exposes Turkish State's Control Mechanisms in Cyprus

A documentary by Mine Balman, titled "CODE 82", sheds light on a hidden system of political pressure exerted on the Turkish Cypriot community by the Turkish state. This system is based on the codes G-82 and N-82, which allow the prohibition of entry into Turkey without a court decision or legal justification. The documentary records testimonies from journalists, activists, and intellectuals who have suffered political pressure or have been banned from entering Turkey. Balman argues that the terms “guarantor power” and “protection” conceal a reality of political occupation and colonialism, which targets democracy and freedom of expression. Journalist Tümay Tuğyan denounces the entry bans as an arbitrary mechanism of repression and emphasizes that the only way out is the reunification of Cyprus on a federal basis. Ayşemden Akın referred to the 2020 “elections” as a turning point for Turkish Cypriot society and the attack on the “Afrika” newspaper in 2018 as a warning sign of authoritarianism. The documentary presents the view that the division of the island creates divided rights and that liberation from the climate of fear requires independence from the politics of dependence and joint pressure on the leadership to achieve reunification.