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Concerns were expressed in the “parliament” during the debate on the “amendment bill of the budget of the fiscal year 2024”, for the increase of the population in the occupied territories
The “parliamentarian” of the Republican Turkish Party (RTK ) Filiz Besim expressed concerns about “uncontrolled population growth” in the occupied territories, stressing that this is the root of the problem leading to a growing demand for teachers, doctors, nurses and “public servants”.
According to “Kipris Postasi”, Mrs. Besim said that the population of Turkish Cypriots is constantly decreasing, while the total population is increasing at a rapid rate, creating shortages and insufficiency of hospitals, roads, schools. “If we do not seriously address the demographic problem, the collapse will be catastrophic,” he warned, calling for a careful approach to effectively utilize limited resources.
For his part, the “minister of education” Nazim Çavuşoğlu rejected Ms Besim's claims of a teacher shortage, saying the amendments were aimed at creating a capacity to meet future needs. She cited the construction of 22 new schools in the past five years, of which 17 are already operational, as a reason for the growing demand for teachers.
In response, Ms. Besim reiterated that the “unanimous vote of bill” did not indicate objection to an increase in staff, but concern about “uncontrolled population growth.
After intense debate, the “bill” was discussed as article and “approved”.
