Front Page Headlines
“Foreign currency shock should be included in protocol”
Currency exchange rates have started to fluctuate again. The loss in the value of the Turkish Lira has increased concerns. Experts underline the importance of taking steps to prevent the impact of shocks due to currency exchange rates.
- All signs point north – The failure to find the five suspects in the Gökhan Naim murder case in the South has further raised suspicions the suspects may be hiding somewhere in the North.
Monetary fines given to businesses will increase tenfold
Zeki Çeler spoke to Kıbrıs Postası on his vision regarding the Labour Ministry and the labour environment.
- Ministry stopped ongoing construction – Kıbrıs Postası coverage taken as evidence to halt construction until the contractor company complies with workplace health and safety regulations.
Businesses cannot survive with such electricity costs
Business community panicked over the latest price hike in electricity. Business community warns many businesses will be forced to shut down due to high electricity bills.
- Public expenditure is the biggest cause of high prices – Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce urged the government to lower expenditure allocated for the public sector.
- Greek Cypriot imposes embargoes on science – Greek Cypriot officials did not allow a Japanese academic to cross to the north. Özersay said: Greek Cypriot side mixes politics with science.
Lurking danger
In the past 18 years, 34,652.62 dönums (dunams) of forest land and thousands of trees burnt to ashes. Majority of the fires are caused by negligence and carelessness.
- Akıncı treated unfairly – Turkish Cypriot Mukhtar of Pyla Veysal Güden said Akıncı had adopted a positive attitude towards the bicommunal football match from the beginning.
Difficult days
Finance Minister Denktaş says there are areas in the economic protocol where an agreement can’t be reached. “Even if it is signed today, the flow of money won’t start before June,” he said.
- This is not Athens, it’s Nicosia – Anniversary of the Greek uprising against the Ottoman Empire celebrated on the Greek Cypriot side with ceremonies.
- Another disgraceful action – Japanese academic who came for a conference at EMU (Eastern Mediterranean University) via Larnaca was sent to Dubai by Greek Cypriot police.
Will one dollar become ten Turkish Lira?
Alarm bells ringing for Turkish Lira in collapsed Turkish economy. The Turkish economy is experiencing bad days. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who sold every asset in the country to foreign investors and has nothing else left to sell, said: “There are manipulative attempts against foreign currency. Unfortunately, there are certain banks behind these attempts.”
- He came to EMU but wasn’t allowed to enter island through Larnaca –Japanese academic was sent back to Dubai from Larnaca. Dr Tomokato Kitamura then arrived in Cyprus via Ercan (Tymbou) and delivered his presentation at EMU (Eastern Mediterranean University).
Main News
Refused entry of Japanese academic at Larnaca airport sparks reactions
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Property, CBMs
OVERVIEW
News that Japanese academic Dr Tomotako Kitamura was denied entry at Larnaca airport after authorities learned he was to attend a conference in one of the universities in the North sparked a reaction from the Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay, in a statement on Monday, accused the Greek Cypriot leadership of being insincere, arguing that its actions contradicted with ongoing efforts to build confidence between the two communities.
He said that such actions by the Greek Cypriot side’s actions would only serve to deepen mistrust between the two communities.
Özersay said that the Greek Cypriot side, should it continue to put pressure on universities, would raise animosity between the communities.
The Greek Cypriot leadership should be implementing measures to prevent such actions at a time when the two sides are engaged in implementing CBMs, Özersay said.
In regards the Greek Cypriot side’s argument on the use of property, Özersay underlined the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), which is recognised by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as an effective domestic remedy on property disputes, was in place to compensate pre-1974 owners should they wish to apply.
Özersay concluded that as long as the right to compensation is granted on the disputed property, the argument that the immovable property is unlawful is not valid.
He reminded that the Turkish Cypriot side recognizes the property rights of pre-1974 owners and that these property disputes could be addressed by the IPC.
Özersay also noted that the Turkish Cypriot side will raise the Greek Cypriot side’s continuing obstructions at international organizations, including the United Nations.
On the other hand, the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in a statement on Monday said the Greek Cypriot side had prevented the Japanese academic from crossing to the north as part of its ongoing campaign to prevent collaboration and participation of Turkish Cypriot universities with international organizations. Speaking to the state-run Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK, Professor Kitamura said the Greek Cypriot immigration officials had stamped his passport upon entry to the island at Larnaca Airport but was then taken in for questioning once the immigration officials realized he was destined for the north.
Kitamura said he was questioned on the Cyprus Problem and told the Greek Cypriot immigration officials he was only involved in physics and not interested in politics. Kitamura was sent back to Dubai following a nine-hour wait at Larnaca Airport.
KEY ACTORS
Özersay
>> GC side’s actions deepen mistrust between the two communities.
>> GC side should refrain from such actions and focus on CBMs.
>> TCs recognise property rights of pre-1974 owners.
>> IPC in place to compensate pre-1974 owners should they wish to apply.
>> GCs property excuse not valid because IPC recognized by ECHR as an effective domestic legal remedy.
Pyla mukhtar: Akıncı treated unfairly
Havadis
CBMs
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Mukhtar of Pyla Veysal Güden said on Monday that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı had adopted a positive attitude towards the bicommunal football match from the very beginning.
Güden added that their goal when organizing the football match in Pyla was to contribute positively to intercommunal relations.
Güden said: “I support President Akıncı’s attitude completely.”
Speaking on a TV programme, Güden said he was sure that Akıncı was misinformed about the location of the football field because there was no doubt as to Akıncı’s dedication to the peace process and to efforts to reach a solution on the island.
Gülden said that he and Akıncı had wanted to contribute to intercommunal relations.
Güden added he was informed by the Presidency that Akıncı would not be attending the football match because of the venue of the football field and the demands made by the Greek Cypriot leadership. Expressing his support for Akıncı’s decision, Güden added: “I believe Akıncı was treated unfairly on the issue.”
Güden also said that the UN did not want to assist Akıncı in overcoming the problem.
Police look north in Naim murder case
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Police now have reason to believe that the five suspects involved in the murder of Gökhan Naim may not be hiding in the South as initially thought. Co-chair of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters Hakkı Önen told Yenidüzen there were no new developments regarding the case.
He said that Greek Cypriot police would have informed them if there were any new developments in the investigation.
“This is not Athens… it’s Nicosia”
Diyalog
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Diyalog newspaper reported on Tuesday that the anniversary of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire was celebrated with nationalist ceremonies in South Cyprus.
The daily reported that streets were decorated with Greek flags while a parade of students was held in Nicosia.
Archbishop Chrysostomos and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades attended a ceremony at the Phaneromenis Church which was followed by an official parade.
Greek Cypriot Education Minister Costas Hambiaouris said that solidarity had always been a strong weapon of Hellenism.
He underlined the importance of unity and solidarity in efforts to reunify the island and to end the ‘occupation’.
Messages criticizing the occupation of the north and Turkey were also issued by Greek Cypriot political parties and the Greek Ambassador to Cyprus Ilias Fotopoulos.
Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in his message expressed his country’s desire to see a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus Problem in the near future.
Pavlopoulos also said that the continuation of the occupation of an EU country by occupation forces on the basis of outdated guarantees was unacceptable.
KEY ACTORS
Pavlopoulos
>> Greece desires just and lasting solution to
>> Occupation of EU country by