Protesters Storm Parliament as General Strike Continues

For a third consecutive day, demonstrators broke through police barricades and sections of the perimeter wall surrounding the complex, advancing to the building’s main entrance. After holding their ground for several hours, they breached the final police line and entered through fire exits, chanting slogans and demanding the resignation of the ruling coalition.

As protesters moved through the corridors, President Tufan Erhurman appeared inside the building, calling for calm. Earlier, he had joined demonstrators outside and held talks with trade union leaders at his official residence next to parliament in the northern part of Ayios Dhometios.

The escalation followed failed efforts late Monday by ruling coalition figures, led by Hasan Taçoy, to bring unions back to negotiations. Government representatives had presented a draft bill they described as a compromise on the cost-of-living allowance, which had been reduced to zero for public sector workers until at least next year.

Unions rejected the proposal, arguing that the government’s decision to impose the measure by decree had undermined trust and rendered negotiations meaningless. They said protests would continue until their demands are met, including the withdrawal of the decree, the release of detained protesters, an end to police intervention, the return of related bills to committee, and the holding of early elections in June.

Tensions further escalated after reports that police used pepper spray against demonstrators, prompting strong reactions from opposition CTP members, including Doğuş Derya and Erkut Şahali. CTP lawmakers later left the chamber en masse shortly before protesters entered the building.