Over 100,000 Students in Northern Cyprus: YÖDAK Reports

The Committee on Economy, Finance, Budget, and Planning of the TRNC Parliament has approved a budget of 62.87 million Turkish lira for the Higher Education Planning, Supervision, Accreditation, and Coordination Council (YÖDAK) by a majority vote. Recent statistics show that Northern Cyprus is home to 101,138 students, with approximately 15,000 classified as inactive.

YÖDAK President Aykut Hocayim shared these figures during a session of the parliamentary committee. He noted that Northern Cyprus currently has 23 licensed educational institutions (including colleges), of which 22 are operational.

Hocayim explained that all students are now registered in the YÖKSİS system, making tracking and oversight more efficient. However, he acknowledged challenges in monitoring students brought to the TRNC by recruitment agencies, emphasizing the need for a robust legal framework to address the issue.

To enhance oversight, YÖDAK is working on integration measures through migration monitoring. A new regulation has already been implemented to manage individuals entering the TRNC without genuine educational intentions.

As a reminder, the parliamentary committee recently finalized the TRNC’s 2025 national budget.