School supplies have been donated to Greek Cypriot and Maronite children who attend schools in the north, the Pancyprian volunteerism coordinating council said on Thursday.
The supplies were donated by Eurobank, with volunteerism coordinating council chairman Elias Demetriou comparing the children and their families to the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, and offering them his “deep gratitude and respect”.
“The volunteerism coordinating council and the wider volunteer movement will continue to stand firmly by the side of the children and their families, supporting their needs and contributing, in every possible way, to the shaping of a better future,” he said.
Following his election as Turkish Cypriot leader in October last year, Tufan Erhurman pledged to improve conditions at Greek Cypriot and Maronite schools in the north, saying that “the right to education for our children in Karpasia is extremely important to me” when asked about criticism levelled at the Turkish Cypriot authorities over the matter.
“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 then visited the Rizokarpaso Greek Cypriot middle school in February, meeting pupils and teachers from both that school and the town’s Greek Cypriot primary school.
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