A scandal is brewing in the TRNC over a possible leak of the medical data of 364,000 people

The Turkish Cypriot newspaper «Yeni Düzen» published an investigation claiming a large-scale leak into the dark web of personal data of 364,036 people who had sought medical services in Northern Cyprus. According to the journalists, the archive has been publicly available since January 2026. The TRNC authorities deny that any medical databases were stolen, but said a suspect had been arrested in connection with a hack of another government platform.

The contents of the archive and the related risks:
The publication claims that the leaked dataset contains full names, citizenship, ID card and passport numbers, dates of birth and residential addresses. Independent experts from the Netherlands confirmed the authenticity of the database and noted that the files had been downloaded dozens of times. According to the specialists, the leak creates a direct risk of fraud and blackmail. Particular resonance was caused by the following points in the investigation:
— Information about minors: vaccination codes, schools and parents' names.
— Medical confidentiality: hackers' claims that there is a separate list of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
— International context: the database reportedly includes citizens of 202 countries, including EU residents, which violates GDPR rules. In addition, logs of the entry and exit of another 340,000 people are said to be present.

Position of the authorities and the opposition's reaction:
On 22 June 2026, TRNC law enforcement agencies reported the detention of a hacker who attacked the work permits portal. At the same time, the government officially maintains that no leak of confidential information from medical authorities has been recorded, and explains the temporary silence by the interests of the investigation.

The authorities' position was sharply criticized by the opposition party TDP. Party Secretary General Redif Ekinci called terse statements unacceptable in a situation affecting the safety of hundreds of thousands of people and demanded a transparent investigation with those responsible held accountable.