EU opens scholarship office in North Cyprus
THE European Commission and the Goethe Institute have officially opened a new office of the “EU Scholarship Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community”.
A European Commission announcement on Thursday said the office forms an “integral part of the assistance that the EU provides to the Turkish Cypriots to come closer to the European Union”.
The office is located in a building on Servet Somuncuoğlu Sokak in Lefkoşa, a short walk from the Ledra Palace checkpoint.
The office will be open to the public as a “clear demonstration of the EU investment in the future of the Turkish Cypriots” the European Commission said.
European Commission director general for structural reform support, Mario Nava, who was at the opening, said: “This inauguration fulfils our objective of bringing the Turkish Cypriot community closer to the EU.
“This building is part of a strategy to create access, inclusion and a sense of belonging by placing the educational and training needs of the community at the centre.
“We want to ensure that all Turkish Cypriots have access to information and take advantage of the programme when deciding about what and where to study in another EU country.”
The European Commission statement added that the scholarship programme for Turkish Cypriots was established in 2007 and has “offered more than 2,000 Turkish Cypriots the possibility to study and train at highly diverse, inclusive and stimulating environments throughout the European Union”.
The statement continued: “This flagship programme is part of EU efforts to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus. In April 2022, the Commission and the Goethe Institute concluded an agreement [worth a] total of five million euros.
“With the inauguration of the office, the Goethe Institute will start the preparation and launch of the call for proposals for the academic year 2023-2024.”