Minister Çavuşoğlu slams Greek Cypriot Education Minister over EOKA remarks

TRNC Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu has strongly condemned recent statements made by Greek Cypriot Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou over her remarks praising the EOKA terror organisation and promoting its “heroism” and the “will to return to occupied lands” in the school curriculum.

In his official statement, Minister Çavuşoğlu said: “I read with deep regret the remarks made by Greek Cypriot Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou, in which she asserted that children are being taught about the ‘heroism and patriotism’ of the terrorist organization EOKA and are being instilled with a determination to “return to the occupied territories”.

He condemned the hateful language used as being completely contrary to the culture of peace, mutual respect in education, and efforts for a solution.

Minister Çavuşoğlu further emphasized that educational institutions are ‘responsible for preparing young generations for the future in line with the principles of peace, tolerance, and coexistence’ and said “It is both unacceptable and alarming to glorify a group responsible for the deaths of thousands and known for ethnic cleansing against Turkish Cypriots,”.

“Such discourse is a dangerous approach which harms peace and reconciliation efforts in Cyprus, encourages the raising of young generations with hatred and grudges, and completely politicises the field of education,” he said.

“Our children should be raised not with hostility or hatred, but with the values of science, art, peace, and human rights. Our young generations, as the guarantors of our future, should be taught the language of peace, not of war,” he stressed, adding that “the seeds of hostility should never be sowned within any education system.

He concluded his statement by urging, “We call on the Greek Cypriot Education Ministry to act with common sense and immediately abandon hate speech.”