A visit by 11-year-old pupils from the “Turkish Maarif College” (TMK) to a military unit in occupied Nicosia has sparked widespread backlash in the north, after photographs emerged showing children posing with weapons and standing in front of military equipment.
According to posts published on the school’s official social media accounts, later deleted following strong reactions, sixth-grade students were photographed holding rifles and posing alongside soldiers, in what the school described as an effort to “strengthen bonds with the army”.
The newspaper Yenı Düzen reported that the images showed minors aiming weapons and being briefed on heavy armaments. The school’s director, Candan Kortay, declined to comment on the incident. Nazım Çavuşoğlu, said he had no prior knowledge of the visit, stressed that such activities do not form part of official education policy and announced that an investigation would be launched.
The original post, removed after public criticism, stated that the visit to the 3rd battalion of the 1st infantry regiment of the Turkish occupying forces in Nicosia aimed to “pass on the history of the Turkish Cypriot struggle to the new generations”. During their time at the base, pupils were briefed on the unit’s weapons and equipment and participated in activities involving drones.
The episode has triggered intense debate on social media about exposing minors to military environments and allowing them to handle weapons as part of school activities.
Source: CNA