Philenews

A Little Humanity Would Build Trust, Not a Checkpoint

Published February 13, 2026, 09:22
A Little Humanity Would Build Trust, Not a Checkpoint

The article focuses on the contrast between the rhetoric of trust-building and the specific problems faced by Greek Cypriot residents in Karpasia. It refers to the dilapidated school in Rizokarpaso, where students attend classes in appalling conditions, while the Turkish side prohibits access to the school for technicians and representatives of the Ministry of Education for maintenance work. The author criticizes the lack of sensitivity and the approach of the Turkish side, which refuses even basic measures of humanity, such as maintaining a school. This, according to the article, casts doubt on the sincerity of statements about building trust. It also refers to a European Parliament Research Service report documenting the deprivations and restrictions experienced by Greek Cypriot students in Karpasia, including censorship and the violation of individual, educational, and religious freedoms. The author concludes with a strong critique of the priority given to trade issues (such as abolishing VAT on goods going to the occupied territories or opening checkpoints) at the expense of fundamental issues of humanity and education, emphasizing the need for a substantial improvement in the living conditions of Greek Cypriots in Karpasia.