Charges brought against 22 Turkish Cypriot teachers for ‘battering’ police

Charges were brought against 22 Turkish Cypriot teachers on Thursday for “battering” police officers and “impeding their duty” during a protest which took place last year.

The protest took place on August 2, 2022, outside the north’s ‘education ministry’ in northern Nicosia.

One of the teachers listed on the charge sheet was Hasan Sarpten, assistant headteacher of the Famagusta Turk Maarif Koleji (TMK).

In a social media post having been served with his charge sheet, he said “as a teacher, I received a very nice Teachers’ Day gift from the fascist mentality which dominates this country.”

“A year and a half ago, in the August heat, we were subjected to police violence … but charges were brought against us for ‘battering the police’,” he added.

He said, “this incident alone would not be enough to bring teachers to our knees. Greetings to those who want to make us crawl through the corridors of courthouses on November 24, Teachers’ Day.”