Protest Erupts in Northern Cyprus Following School Bus Crash

A protest took place in Northern Cyprus last night following a serious school bus accident. Students injured in the crash in Yenierenköy and their families gathered outside the Prime Minister's office, rallying under the slogan: “Every act of negligence costs a life.”

The demonstration drew wide participation, including Deputy Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Fazilet Özdenefe, members of parliament, political party representatives, trade union members, teachers, and the injured students themselves.

Protesters held signs and chanted messages such as:

• “Safe transportation is not a luxury, it’s our right,”

• “Poor vehicle inspections in Karpaz mean poor safety,”

• “If there's no inspection, the ministry is responsible,”

• “Our roads are ancient relics, our buses are museum pieces,”

• “Every uninspected vehicle is a coffin,”

• “We want buses that meet safety standards,”

• “We could have died that day.”

Some participants were reportedly prevented from reaching the protest after police blocked the bus they were traveling in.

The accident, which occurred last week in Yenierenköy, left 29 people injured — the driver and 28 schoolchildren. The bus overturned on a secondary road east of the local high school while heading toward Dipkarpaz.

Both parents and students placed full responsibility for the incident on the authorities. During the protest, they stressed that many school buses in the region have been in use since the 1950s and are in extremely poor technical condition, with major mechanical faults.

Parents also revealed that on the day of the crash, the bus — designed to carry 20 passengers — had nearly 40 children on board. Some students said they had refused to ride the bus because they were aware of brake issues.