Teachers’ union supports the “black flag” action of the Doctors’ Association in Northern Cyprus

On 29 January 2026 in Northern Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers’ Union (KTOEÖS) announced its support for the “black flag” action initiated by the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB).

In its statement, KTOEÖS said that allowing admission to specialised medical training programmes without a centralised examination does not comply with scientific, ethical, and public responsibility principles. The union believes that this decision undermines the right to healthcare and creates a risk to public health.

KTOEÖS emphasised the unacceptability of abolishing the centralised exam for entry into residency programmes and noted that doctors’ opinions were ignored, which is inconsistent with democratic and scientific procedures.

The statement also says that KTTB’s position reflects the priority of public interest, medical ethics, and the protection of human life. The union warned that if the relevant regulation is adopted without considering the will of the medical community and without KTTB’s consent, responsibility for the consequences will lie with the political authorities.

KTOEÖS declared its support for the decision not to recognise specialisations obtained without a centralised exam and confirmed its solidarity with the Doctors’ Association.