Top student stopped from getting award
THE Greek Cypriot administration has been accused of “racism” after a 15-year old TRNC-based Turkish student was prevented from crossing the border into South Cyprus to collect an award for scoring the highest grade in the world in her IGCSE Turkish language exam.
Meral Berilsu, a year 10 student at the Bülent Ecevit Anadolu state high school, was stopped by Greek Cypriot officials from entering South Cyprus to attend the recent awards ceremony in Lemon Park, South Nicosia, at the invitation of the UKbased examination body Pearson Edexcel.
Speaking to Cyprus Today school head teacher Sibel Karakaya said: “Meral is a fantastic, hard-working student. . . She worked very hard for the success and came first in the world in the Pearson Edexcel exam . . . The excuse that they would not allow her to cross even though the state notified them it was to collect an educational award — simply because she is Turkish — is racism.”
Teachers attending the event from another TRNC state school in Lefkoşa, Türk Maarif College, were asked to collect the award and medal on Meral’s behalf, Ms Karakaya said.
“It may be a good idea to have such ceremonies in the [UN] buffer zone, therefore not requiring students to go to South Cyprus, because of the policy of the greek cypriot side,” she added.
News of the ban prompted representatives of organisations in the TRNC, including human rights groups, to hold a protest outside the British High Commission’s Lefkoşa offices on Mehmet Akif Caddesi on Monday to condemn the move.
In a letter addressed to High Commissioner Stephen Lillie, they said Meral, who is of Turkish origin and does not hold TRNC citizenship, had been a “victim of racist politics” of the Greek Cypriots.
Reading out the letter on behalf of the national associations platform, Özlem Dinçoğlu said that not allowing Meral to cross because she is Turkish is a “racist policy” which had been “supported by the UK”.
“As the IGCSE exams are held in secondary schools in the TRNC and as they did not ask any candidate about his or her [ethnic] origin during the application process, the UK should have taken the same care in the awarding of success,” she said.
“An award ceremony should . . . at least be held at the british consulate to not sacrifice a successful 15-yearsold student to the racist policies of the greek cypriot administration. We are protesting against . . . the racist greek cypriot administration in the presence of the UK for this great injustice.”
Both President Mustafa Akıncı and Prime Minister Ersin Tatar invited Meral to their offices in separate visits on Monday to praise the student’s achievements and express their support for her.
“There is not a single door that cannot be opened with the key of success, however [this key] could not open the door to South Cyprus,” Mr Akıncı said.
Mr Tatar told Meral “not to worry” and that “our people are with you”.