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Just 15 students are enrolled in secondary school this year in Rizokarpaso, in northern Cyprus, where the small Greek Cypriot community continues to face restrictions under Turkish occupation, according to a new European Parliament report.
According to Famagusta News, the investigation, requested by MEP Loukas Fourlas, is the first EU study to formally examine how the occupation affects education for the “enclaved” Greek Cypriots, the few who remained in the Karpasia peninsula after the 1974 Turkish invasion.
The report shows ongoing problems: this year, Turkish Cypriot authorities refused seven Greek-language textbooks and rejected the appointment of seven teachers, making it difficult to run schools smoothly. UN peacekeepers continue to support teacher placements and book deliveries, but the restrictions remain.
Rizokarpaso secondary school first opened in 1917 but was closed after the 1974 invasion and stayed shut for 31 years. A primary school has operated continuously since 1840. Today, just 18 children attend primary school and 16 attend kindergarten in the area.
The report also highlights broader issues, including violations of the Third Vienna Agreement, which promised Greek Cypriots support for education, healthcare, and religious freedom. It traces Cyprus’s modern history, noting that reunification talks have been stalled since 2017.
Fourlas has requested a European Parliament delegation to visit Rizokarpaso to see conditions firsthand. The report will serve as a permanent reference for the EU on human rights and education in the occupied areas.
It also mentions Turkish Cypriots living in the south, EU financial aid to the north, and the issue of unrecognized universities in the occupied areas, whose degrees are only recognized by Turkey.
