TRNC position on Zimbabwean students

„ DEAR Editor,

I am writing with regard to the article published in the Zimbabwe Independent Online newspaper on September 16 2022 drafted by Melody Chikono and Tinashe Kairiza titled “ZimStudents Stuck in Turkey” which contains disturbing and false allegations against my country.It is extremely disappointing to observe that a fabricated news item is published in your newspaper based on the allegations of a biased source, which is designed to pursue a defamation campaign against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The Greek Cypriot side has long been spreading false information as part and parcel of their campaign to deceive public opinion in order to curtail the interaction of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with the rest of the world.The existence of thousands of foreign students in our country is testimony to the fact that theTRNC is most probably one of the safest countries in the world which provides a tranquil environment for the students to conduct their studies in a peaceful atmosphere.The higher education sector constitutes 40% of the economy in the TRNC and is actively encouraged and promoted by the State. This is why, as an island State, the TRNC is considered “an oasis of higher education.” The TRNC is a hub of higher education in the region, hosting 21 universities, with 110 352 students from 145 different countries and teaching staff from 65 countries.

All of these universities are accredited by the Council of Higher Education for Planning, Evaluation,Accreditation and Coordination (YODAK) of the TRNC and nine of them are also accredited to the Higher Education Council of Turkey (YOK). Moreover, many of the universities in the TRNC are accredited by international accreditation authorities such as AS, ABET, ASIIN, MUDEK, TedQual,

Edexcel-UK, MIAK, FIBAA, IACBE, ECBE, EAQUALS, ACPE, AACSB, UK-NARIC.

TRNC universities are full members of the European Universities Association (EUA), the International Association of Universities (IAU) and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). Degrees of the universities are widely recognised and accepted all over the world. Graduates of the universities of our country enjoy the capacity to find jobs easily all over the world thanks to the education they receive.Moreover, the TRNC is one of the most peaceful tourist spots, where thousands of tourists visit throughout the year. Over 500 000 people visited the TRNC during the first half of 2022.

With its complaisant and decent Turkish Cypriot people, our country is a place of attraction offering a safe and peaceful environment for both students and foreign visitors. In the TRNC, one receives quality higher education at international standards with relatively low tuition fees and various choices for dormitory/accommodation facilities. The universities offer hundreds of different programmes integrated with the Turkish higher education system, as well as a unique study life for the students, with an opportunity to share their experiences with other students from 145 different countries, who chose to study in the TRNC.

The educational ties between Zimbabwe and the TRNC cannot be underestimated, with almost 1 500 students from Zimbabwe, few of whom are on a State scholarship each academic year. The students are advised to contact their schools after receiving their acceptance to check their scholarship status, accommodation and tuition fees and not to rely on the information provided by the agencies solely as there can be some illintended people who may introduce them as agencies, as the case is everywhere else in the world.The claim in your newspaper that “the Zimbabwean students are being jailed for not paying their tuition fees” is hardly convincing as the universities in the TRNC require advance payment for the tuition fees and non-payment of the tuition fee for the subsequent years may only result with the student to be disenrolled from the University. Also, the “student data information System”, a system which was introduced by the Ministry of Interior of the TRNC has been operating since 2018 in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Finance, Education and Culture and the General Directorate of Police to record and monitor information about each student related to their visa, student or residential status as well as work permit, starting from their acceptance phase, until their graduation.

We take the issue of legal residence very seriously and anyone not abiding by the rules regarding their residential status also receive the legal consequences.Our authorities are doing their utmost to prevent all crimes and maintain order and safety of the public, for protecting the young students from falling into the trap of bad habits. We will continue to support the students to keep on the right path; concentrate on their education and stay away from illegal activities. As a state where the rule of law prevails, everyone committing a crime in the TRNC is brought to justice and enjoys the right to fair trial in accordance with the TRNC laws. The judiciary in the TRNC is as independent as any other democratic State in the world. Moreover, if a student is being under trial for an illegal activity, he or she has every right to hire a lawyer. Our authorities constantly cooperate with the diplomatic representatives of the relevant countries which have students in our country, to facilitate their meeting with the students regarding their consular issues and social well-being. Therefore, it would be very wrong to portray some individual legal cases as a systematic maltreatment against foreign/Zimbabwean students. It is crucial to underline that the Island of Cyprus is one island but two States administering their own affairs independently and with no authority or jurisdiction over one another. Therefore, the Greek Cypriot claim that it does not have access to our country to control the status of these students is only a propaganda tool to deceive foreigners who visit our country. The Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus has no jurisdiction or right of say on our territory.

I hope and trust that your institution approaches our authorities or even the Zimbabwean students themselves when drafting an article in the future, for the sake of publishing balanced and objective articles, which would not inflict fear amongst our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters who chose to receive education in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Sincerely,