Organized attack: school and shuttle bus drivers beaten in Famagusta

The Chairman of the Cyprus Modern Public Transport Operators Association (Kar-İş), Fuat Topaloğlu, reported an organized attack on bus drivers in the area of the Thursday Market near the terminal in Gazimağusa, calling the incident "unacceptable cruelty."

According to Topaloğlu, on the market day, school and student buses, as usual, were parked behind the pavilions, about 25–30 meters from the cafés. Nevertheless, a group of 10–15 people connected to the café owners attacked 2–3 drivers, showering them with insults and threats.

“They attacked our staff with iron rods,” Topaloğlu said. “The bus owner Yusuf Keleş broke a finger, one driver suffered a head injury, and another has multiple abrasions. The victims were taken to the hospital, and the buses were also damaged.”

The head of Kar-İş emphasized that this was not a “domestic quarrel” but a deliberate and coordinated attack. He warned that if violence in the center of Famagusta goes unpunished, “others will be harmed tomorrow.”

The association announced that, together with the victims, it will file an official complaint with the police and pursue the punishment of those responsible. Topaloğlu reminded that drivers and carriers “carry the entire city traffic” and no one has the right to use force against them “under any pretext.”