European Parliament decries rights violations at Rizokarpaso school

Details of a report compiled by the European Parliamentary research service which was seen by the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday decried “the violation of the human rights” of Greek Cypriot children in Rizokarpaso who are enrolled at the town’s schools by the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

The report had been requested by Cypriot MEP Loucas Fourlas of Disy, and stated that “fundamental individual, educational, and religious freedoms continue to be restricted by the occupying regime”.

It referred to the Third Vienna agreement, signed by Turkish Cypriot leader of the day Rauf Denktash and interim president Glafcos Clerides in August 1975, which set out the terms for population exchanges between the island’s two sides and the continued residence of Greek Cypriots who wished to remain in the north after 1974.

This agreement, the report said, “provided for the assurance of dignified living conditions” for Greek Cypriots who remain in the north, “including uninterrupted education, access to medical and pharmaceutical care, and the free exercise of their religious rights”.

However, according to the report, these rights “are not being respected”.

It then made specific reference to the Greek Cypriot schools on the Karpas peninsula, stating that the Turkish Cypriot authorities have in recent years “rejected the use of seven school textbooks and did not approve the appointment of seven teachers”.

“These decisions negatively affected the smooth functioning of both primary and secondary education,” it said.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman had been asked about this matter during a press conference on Monday, and stressed that “the right to education for our children in Karpasia is extremely important to me”.

“Whatever needs to be done will be done,” he said, before going on to stress that ensuring the right to education of Greek Cypriot children in Karpasia will not depend on the Greek Cypriot side “reciprocating”, though he did use the opportunity to call on the Republic of Cyprus to allow for the opening of a Turkish language school in Limassol.

“The right to education for Turkish Cypriot children living in Limassol is just as important as that of our children in Karpasia. They are also our children, and I will continue to be assertive on this matter,” he said.

He added that “protecting the rights to education of children in both Karpasia and Limassol is one of the most important humanitarian dimensions of the solution process”.

The Cyprus Mail contacted the government regarding the prospect of opening a Turkish Cypriot school in Limassol and is awaiting a response.