türkçe links to original Turkish article
(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 October 2026)
Dance card full henceforth!
A Turkish Cypriot father living in the Greek Cypriot-administered
city of Larnaca wanted to hire a female singer and a belly dancer for
his 24-year-old daughter's wedding last November. While obtaining
the necessary marriage documents, the issue of the female singer and
belly dancer arose. Greek Cypriot officials warned him, citing Article 97
of the penal code—a legacy of the British colonial era titled "Muslim
Entertainments" that applied exclusively to Muslims—stating that
"bringing a female singer and a belly dancer to a Muslim wedding is
prohibited and punishable by one month in prison or a fine." The law’s
definition of a "belly dancer" included the description: "a woman who
engages in prostitution, singing, and dancing." (!)
Sort of like "training" for the bride and groom.
The father initially cancelled the wedding and decided to hold it in
another country where "having a belly dancer perform" was not
prohibited; however, acting on his lawyers' advice, he filed a complaint
against the Greek Cypriot administration with the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR). The Court accepted the application and requested
a defense from the Greek Cypriot Attorney General's Office. The Attorney
General's Office acknowledged the fault and reported that parliamentary
work had begun to amend the law dating back to the British colonial era.
The Greek Cypriot government pursued an amicable settlement with the
Turkish Cypriot father, agreeing to pay a total of 5,000 euros—comprising
3,500 euros in compensation and 1,500 euros for legal costs. The ECHR
struck the case from its docket after the Turkish Cypriot father accepted
the settlement.
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