30.03.2025 16:00
Selma Eylem, who is preventing headscarf-wearing students from entering schools in Cyprus, stated in a press conference in front of the Turkish embassy, "Once again, we say to the ambassador, 'Go home.' We intend to hold our exams tomorrow. If this imposition continues, this place will take away our children's right to take exams. I am calling on the police and these puppets to take the necessary action."
The capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Lefkoşa, has witnessed a significant reaction regarding the incident at İrsen Küçük Middle School, where the President of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Union, Selma Eylem, and teachers at the school prevented an 8th-grade student from entering the school with her headscarf. Yusuf İnanıroğlu, the Director of the General Secondary Education Department of the Ministry of National Education, stated that the student should be allowed to enter the school, but this request was rejected by the school administration.
A MOTHER PROTESTED: IT'S 2025 AND WE EXPERIENCED FEBRUARY 28
The mother of the 8th-grade student who was prevented from entering the school with her headscarf, Nazlı Şimşek, protested the situation. In her statement, Nazlı Şimşek said, "Unfortunately, it is 2025 and we experienced February 28. My child is separate, we were tried to be convinced separately. We were subjected to various slanders. My child has not been able to go to school for 3 weeks. Unfortunately, those who did this are educators."
SCANDALOUS WORDS IN FRONT OF THE TURKISH EMBASSY
While the repercussions of the incident continue, Selma Eylem, known as an opponent of headscarves, made scandalous statements in front of the Turkish embassy. Eylem stated that the ambassador should withdraw his hand from the students and schools, saying, "We once again say to the esteemed ambassador, 'Go home.' We intend to hold our exams tomorrow. If this imposition continues, this is where our children's right to take exams will be taken away. I am calling on the police and these puppets to take action. We have never had such a problem. Okay, you reversed the regulation, then you will do what is necessary. Therefore, we repeat; we can gather thousands here. The ambassador should withdraw his hand from our schools. Enough is enough, he should stop interfering with our children."
WHAT HAPPENED?
Last week, a female student studying at İrsen Küçük Middle School in Lefkoşa was not allowed to enter the school with her headscarf. The school administration and a psychologist informed the child that she could not enter the school with a headscarf and that this authority belonged to the school administration. The family later submitted a written complaint to the Ministry of National Education, requesting that their reading daughter’s right to education not be taken away and that she be allowed to continue her education. After the school administration suggested that the family send their child to the Theology College, the Ministry of National Education brought the issue to the agenda of the Council of Ministers of the TRNC. The Council of Ministers then relaxed the ban applied in middle schools, allowing students who wished to attend school with "bonnets" and "bandanas." However, this decision was also withdrawn after a while.