Üstel says Ankara has agreed to military service reform

Nov 9, 2026 10:17 am Ibrar Younas 113

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said on Monday that Ankara had agreed to a plan to widen access to paid military service and that the draft bill was ready. He said it would be the first bill submitted to Parliament if his party returned to government after the 6 December elections and secured a vote of confidence.

Üstel says Ankara has agreed to military service reform

Üstel announced the pledge on Saturday at the National Unity Party’s (UBP) candidate launch at the Atatürk Sports Hall in Lefkoşa. He said people would be able to opt for paid military service once they reached call-up age, without having to live, work or study abroad. The scheme would be based on the model used in Türkiye.
Speaking live by phone on Hüseyin Ekmekçi’s Günaydın Haber Kıbrıs programme on Monday morning, Üstel said the draft had been prepared after talks with Türkiye’s Defence Ministry and military officials.
He said the current system encouraged some young people to move abroad to qualify for paid service, and that many did not return. He said the reform was intended to help young people stay in the country while meeting its defence needs.
Asked how the change would affect the Security Forces Command, Üstel said the plan would safeguard the country’s security. He said more details would be made public when Parliament debated the bill.