A chair was thrown at the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel’s office on Thursday as part of a protest staged by Turkish Cypriot teachers against their working conditions.
The symbolism of the chair is a common theme in contemporary Turkish Cypriot politics, with many opposed to the current ruling coalition arguing that those in power are only interested in holding on to their “seat” in ‘government’.
Thursday’s protest centred on matters including alleged infringements on teachers’ employment rights, low wages, insufficient infrastructure, overcrowding in classrooms, and the disparity in conditions for teachers at private schools and those at public schools.
Teachers’ union Ktoeos’ secretary-general Tahir Gokcebel said at the protest that teachers are “faced with a government which has a learning disability”.
“Our job is difficult, but we can also explain things to people who have learning disabilities, because that is our job,” he added.
He also referred to the death of 20-year-old baby Mihrimah Toymuradov at the weekend, saying the ruling coalition “has started killing our children as well”.
“Enough is enough, is this all worth it for the seats?”
