The situation concerning the expulsion of the seven teachers of the Theoretical Lyceum “Orizont” is outrageous. During 25 years of its foundation, there was peace in the lyceum, said teacher and representatives of the Parents Committee of the private education institution. These demand that the Turkish citizens who continue working at the lyceum should be granted political asylum and the status of refugee.
In a news conference at IPN, Valentina Curechi, a teacher of “Orizont”, said the seven teachers who were expelled at the beginning of September studied in Moldova, got married here, have children, learned the language and worked for over 20 years without the authorities having an objection. “They, those who were the initiators and promoters of the national values and traditions, now became the biggest danger to the national security. The fact that everything was done unexpectedly, in a prestigious private institution, with no clear information existing about the expulsion, if only secret reports about the illegal and inhuman kidnapping of the seven teachers of the lyceum, generates questions to which no answer could be yet found,” stated the teacher.
Valentina Curechi said in the created circumstances, besides granting political asylum to the Turkish teachers who remained in Moldova, psychological assistance should also be offered to the families of the expelled persons. After the inhuman detention, the child of an expelled father could not recover and does not speak. The state should also provide financial and psychological assistance to these families and should ensure conditions for the teaching process at the lyceum to run smoothly and safely. “We insist on the observance of the universal human rights and children’s rights,” she stated.
Oleg Matvei, a member of the Parents Committee of “Orizont”, said the parents are concerned about this case and consider the arrest of the Turkish citizens was an abuse. The arrest was made with the use of violence and in the absence of official documents, especially because five of them were asylum seekers. Two of his children study at the given lyceum and his third child already graduated from this. The younger children daily ask him about their teachers, being marked by those arrests.
Bilbil Beqiri, teacher at “Orizont”, said one of those expelled is his best friend. Bilbil Beqiri is from Albania. He noted that requests to expel Turkish teachers existed in his country of origin too, but these were rejected and the President of Turkey understood he does not have chances and gave up seeking the deportation of Turkish teachers. Bilbil Beqiri expressed his bewilderment at the fact that they did expel the Turkish teachers in the Republic of Moldova.
Ex-minister of defense Vitalie Marinuța, who has been a member of the Parents Committee for four years, said his two children studied at this lyceum and he was very satisfied with the quality of studies there. He knew personally all the seven expelled teachers and discussed with them not only once. “If these persons posed a threat to the national security, whey weren’t they arrested and interrogated to find out more details, but were immediately expelled to a state for which we do not know what they represent,” said the former minister, noting the arrest was illegal and Moldova stopped being a democratic state.
Galina Tufekci, the wife of the director of the lyceum’s branch in Ceadâr-Lunga who was among those expelled, said her husband is a sincere and correct man who is appreciated for his decency by all those who know him. Their two minor children daily ask where there father is. A big injustice was done and they hope a day will come when her husband will return home and their children will get back their father.
The woman said she discussed with the wives of the other expelled persons and with their relatives and learned that the seven persons were taken to different penitentiaries and one of them suffered a fracture. This makes them think that the persons are subject to violence in jails. Her husband hasn’t had a lawyer, but asked for personal possessions from his relatives.
Representatives of the Parents Committee of the private Theoretical Lyceum “”Orizont”, by a petition addressed to the country’s administration, ask to examine all the circumstances of the September 6 expulsion of seven teachers of Turkish origin who worked at this lyceum and to stop such practices that, according to them, damage the country’s image. They request to open an inquiry and identify the functionaries who committed a number of violations.
