THE CYPRIOT Turkish Teachers’ Union (KTOS) will today begin a legal battle against the Republic of Cyprus over what it says is a violation of Turkish Cypriot community’s right to administer its own educational establishments within the Republic.
KTOS are bringing two cases against the Republic, targeting the Education Ministry and the Council of Ministers over a recently-opened Turkish-language section of a Greek Cypriot primary school in Limassol. KTOS insist Cyprus’ constitution says education for Turkish Cypriots must be run by Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish-language section, like the rest of the school, is currently under the jurisdiction of the Cypriot Education Ministry.
The Limassol school’s Turkish-language section was opened last year, a year after the opening of a Greek-language school in Rizokarpaso in the north. Teachers at the Rizokarpaso school are appointed by the Education Ministry, and the curriculum and text books are those of Greek Cypriot schools.
“According to the 1960 Constitution, Turkish Cypriots should administer their own schools,” KTOS leader Sener Ercil told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. He added that if his union won the case a new school would be opened in Limassol under Turkish Cypriot administration.
Asked whether that meant the school being run by the north’s ‘education ministry’, Elcil said no plans existed on how such a system would work, but expressed confidence in “a formula” being found.
KTOS will be targeting the Education Ministry over the Limassol school, but it will also seek to sue Cyprus’ Council of Ministers, which oversaw the establishment of the Ministry in 1993.
“The Greek Cypriots formed their own Education Ministry in 1993. This is unconstitutional,” Ercil said. He insists that under the Constitution the formation of an entirely Greek Cypriot education ministry is unlawful within the Republic’s bicommunal structure. Cyprus’ administration has not, however, been bicommunal since the 1963 intercommunal troubles.
“If, as they say, they are the Cyprus Republic, them they have to abide by its constitution,” Elcil said.
Asked whether it would be justified for Turkish Cypriots to demand communal rights in the Republic while holding on to an, albeit-unrecognised, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot-run state in the north, Elcil said, “Part of the country might be under occupation, but that is not our concern. We are against the existence of a separate state in the north, but we are also against the complete domination of the Cyprus Republic by Greek Cypriots. We are against partition; we believe in the Republic and its Constitution.”
“We do not want to lose our communal rights in the Republic,” he added.
A group of around 30 Turkish Cypriot teachers will lead a protest march from the Ledra Palace checkpoint to the court buildings today. They will be carrying banners in both Turkish and Greek calling for KTOS’ demands to be met.
KTOS’ lawyer Oner Serifoglu said yesterday he expected case proceedings to be put on hold for around six weeks to allow the Attorney-general, Petros Clerides, who is representing the Council of Minister and the Education Ministry, to prepare his defence.
Commenting on possible outcome, Serifoglu said, “I can’t even contemplate losing” and echoed Elcil’s belief that what happened in the north had no bearing on what takes place in the Republic’s courts.
“Our concern is not what takes place in the north. After all, Greek Cypriot can and do attempt to prosecute the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot authorities. Our concern here is what happens in the Cyprus Republic and our rights within it.”
