What the papers say
LIVING in the TRNC is a “real struggle”, said Kıbrıs editor Ali Baturay in his column on Thursday — and not just because of the economic crisis.
Commenting on the poor start to the new academic year, which saw a lack of teachers and resources in state schools, he described problems in the country in addition to the economic crisis.
“We have problems in many areas. This is something that never changes regardless of who is in power. It is like the system has been designed this way,” he wrote.
“Even if there are sometimes small differences and improvements, generally the same problems continue. We have so many similar problems that we journalists have trouble with coming up different headlines. Every headline is a ‘repeat’ and our lives consist of repeats. It wouldn’t be a problem if good things were repeated, but mostly they are the bad ones.”
Referring to this week’s fatal crash, he said: “Is there anything left to say about road accidents? . . . After all the things that have been said, heaps of proposals made, examples cited from the world, none of them has been adapted to our country . . . The same problems occur and people continue to die.”
He added: “Governments have changed, but has any solution been found for environmental pollution? Is it so hard to inculcate environmental awareness in the community? Is it so hard to keep our environment clean? Is it so hard to penalise those who pollute?”
Listing similar questions in areas such as health, labour rights and fair tax collection, he went on: “What about education? Has the academic year ever been able to start without problems?
“For years, head teachers . . . have been made to beg because of a lack of necessary financial support. School administrators are requesting items like toilet paper and soap from parents. Some are requesting money, some materials. Parents who do not want to help are arguing . . . These arguments make news each year.
“This is not a sustainable structure . . . Neither teachers nor pupils can be motivated. So to avoid these problems, parents are getting loans, putting them in a difficult position, to send their children to private schools.
“However . . . due to the economic crisis many have now withdrawn their children from private schools and registered them in state schools. So the pupils suffer trauma as they are taken away from their friends and familiar environments, and an extra burden is created for state schools which are already underresourced.”
Mr Baturay concluded: “There are many more similar problems in this country. We go through problems because of the unresolved Cyprus problem and of being unrecognised, and because of dealing with problems due to the status quo.
“It really is a struggle to live in North Cyprus. And the worst part of it is that no-one is making an effort to get out of this struggle; neither the people nor the rulers.”