Front Page Headlines
256 pensioners in three months, 48.2 million Turkish Lira in payments
The pension reality in the public sector: Retirement pensions and seniority indemnity. The Ministry of Finance is spending millions every year on pensioners.
- “Urgent settlement necessary for security and economic interests” – UN Secretary-General gives a message on Cyprus.
- Serial murders bring resignation – Greek Cypriot Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou resigns. Identity of the body in suitcase determined.
“We shall not find sheep for meat or milk to drink!”
The President of the Association of Livestock Breeders Mustafa Naimoğlulları warns of the challenges and problems faced by livestock breeders, claiming that different prices for milk are given to different producers. He argued that this will lead to shortages in meat and milk in the near future.
110 million GBP still hasn’t been paid
Despite very good outcomes in the past, there has been a fall in the number of Greek Cypriots applying to the Immovable Property Commission due to a shortage of funds experienced by the TRNC as well as some of the legal measures taken by the Greek Cypriot side.
- Serial killer leads to the resignation of Greek Cypriot Justice Minister –Greek Cypriot Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou resigned following mounting criticism of the way the (missing person) claims regarding the seven foreign nationals who were murder victims was handled.
He could not see the sun
He refused to move to the South after 1974. He remained in the village of Sipahi (Ayia Triada) where he was born. Savvas Liasi Argirou passed away at the age of 89 waiting for the ‘sun to rise’, hoping for the solution of the Cyprus Problem.
- Exemplary stance from the committee – Jordanian father who abducted his children in South Cyprus was caught with them in the TRNC. The man and his children were handed over to the South through the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters.
- The goal is to sign (protocol) in May – President Mustafa Akıncı and Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman discussed financial protocol at a 45-minute routine weekly meeting.
The time has come
Following Prime Minister Erhürman, the leaders of UBP, DP, and YDP say they are ready to discuss the ‘presidential system’. Özyiğit, on the other hand, said that it was not on their agenda.
Hunt for illegal workers on May 1
Complaints filed to Labour Ministry on May 1 on open businesses helped catch illegal workers. Ministry not only fined businesses for remaining open on May 1 but also for employing illegal workers.
- Justice Minister resigns in South – Police’s negligence and irresponsibility regarding murders led to minister’s resignation.
Main News
Immovable Property Commission applications continue to fall
Kıbrıs
Property
OVERVIEW
The number of Greek Cypriot applications to the North’s Immovable Property Commission (IPC) continues to drop due to delays in compensation payments as well as legal obstacles created by Greek Cypriot officials, the head of the commission Ayfer Said Erkmen said in an interview to Kıbrıs newspaper.
Erkmen said that, so far 17,586 dönüms (dunam) of property had been purchased and transferred to Turkish ownership, counting for 23,530,375 square metres of land.
The IPC president also said that around 70,000 people had applied to the commission, opening a total number of 6,538 files.
He said that 1,194 of these cases had been initially settled but that this number had gone down to 1001 after 193 of these had been withdrawn after settlement.
Erkmen said that there were a number of reasons why applications were withdrawn such as failure to provide proof of ownership, disapproval of the amount offered for compensation, the prolonging of the process itself or legal measures taken by the Greek Cypriot side.
The IPC president said that Greek Cypriot applications had also dropped after banks in the South started accepting properties in the North as collateral when giving out loans.
“In the past when a Greek Cypriot wanted to sell his/her property in the north to another Greek Cypriot he or she would have needed to pay the state a 6% transfer fee. The Greek Cypriot government in an attempt to prevent the transfer of Greek Cypriot properties to Turkish Cypriot ownership has stopped taking this transfer fee,” Erkmen said.
He added that since such transactions were carried out between Greek Cypriots, the need to apply to the commission ended, thus affecting the number of applications made.
The IPC president said that another reason for the drop in the number of applications was the failure of the commission to pay out compensation due to lack of funds.
He said that the IPC has yet to pay 110 million GBP in compensation to applicants.
“It has been decided to pay out a total of 302,145,102 GBP for the 1,001 concluded applications. Turkey has stopped making payments because a law on land value tax in Turkey has not passed. The loss in the value of the Turkish Lira against foreign currency is only making the situation worse,” Erkmen said.
The IPC head said that it was impossible to pay 110 million GBP in compensation when the commission’s budget was 75 million TL.
Erkmen also pointed out that there were 166 hotels in the North and that only 33 of these were operating on Turkish-owned land.
KEY ACTORS
Erkmen (IPC)
>> GC applications to IPC dropping due to delays in payments and legal measures taken by GC side.
>> So far, 23,530,375 square metres of land has been transferred to Turkish ownership.
>> 302m GBP awarded in compensation to GC owners. 110m GBP still pending due to lack of funds.
>> From the 166 hotels in north, only 33 are operating on Turkish-owned land.
UN Security Council stresses ‘urgent need’ for Cyprus settlement
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The UN Security Council on Thursday underlined the “urgent need for a settlement in Cyprus” after being briefed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on his latest report on his Good Offices Mission.
Speaking to the press after discussing the report, Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN and President of the Security Council for the month of May, said the Security Council welcomed the Secretary-General’s latest report on Cyprus and emphasised “the urgent need for a settlement which would be overwhelmingly in the security and economic interest of all Cypriots in the region.”
Djani read a statement in which the Council urged both sides to the conflict “to agree to terms of reference as a basis for meaningful, result-oriented negotiation, mindful of the natural window of opportunity presented by the current electoral cycle.”
Council members, he said, encouraged the leaders of the two communities “to prepare for a settlement through positive public messages on convergences and the way ahead” and emphasized “the need to avoid actions that damage the chances of success and urge the implementation and further development of confidence-building measures.”
KEY ACTORS
UNSC
>> Emphasised urgent need for solution that would be overwhelmingly in the security and economic interest of all Cypriots in the region.
>> Urged both sides to agree to ToR as basis for meaningful, result-oriented negotiation, taking opportunity of period between elections.
>> Encouraged leaders to prepare for settlement through positive public messages on convergences & way ahead.
>> Emphasised need to avoid actions that damage chances of success.
>> Urged implementation & further development of CBMs.
Jordanian father, who kidnapped his children, returned to GC officials
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The 42-year-old Jordanian national, Sufıan Mohammad Abdallah Marie, who had kidnapped his three children aged 12, six and four from Limassol, was found in Gayretköy (Avlona) on Wednesday.
According to information provided by the police on Thursday, the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters was contacted first and then the 42-year-old father together with his children was returned to the Greek Cypriot officials through United Nations officials at the Ledra Palace crossing point.
Jasmine Movement MEP candidate opposed to bizonality, bicommunality
Yenidüzen
EU matters
OVERVIEW
Jasmine Movement MEP candidate Oz Karahan has said that he is opposed to the idea of bizonality and bicommunality as Cypriots belonged to one nation.
He said the idea of dividing Cypriots into communities was not a peaceful approach.
In an interview with Yenidüzen, Oz Karahan said that Turkish Cypriots who benefited from EU membership regarding work, education and travel, needed to vote in the upcoming EU elections.
Regarding Turkish language in the European Parliament, Karahan argued that Turkish was one of the Republic of Cyprus’ official languages and would become an EU language if he or one of the movement’s other candidates were elected.
Karahan also said that the movement was not based on ethnicity and that it would have been possible for citizens of the RoC to run for a seat in the European Parliament under the Movement’s list if they wished.
Karahan vowed to lobby in favour of a united country as well as against Turkey’s growing influence on the North.
Revered GC resident of Karpaz peninsula passes away
Havadis
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Havadis newspaper paid tribute to Savvas Liasi Argirou, a resident of Sipahi (Ayia Triada) village in the Karpaz peninsula who passed away recently at the age of 89. Argirou had refused to leave his village after 1974 and remained there until his death, never giving up hope for a settlement, the daily reports.
Havadis newspaper, which had interviewed him on several occasions, allocated two pages with pictures and stories about his life.
In his last interview to Havadis in February 2014, Argirou had expressed his strong desire for a settlement, claiming that the sun would rise once again on Cyprus.
He was of the 65 Greek Cypriots remaining in the village, once inhabited by 2,000 Greek Cypriots.
Argirou, who lost his wife four years ago, had maintained the church in the village.
He will be laid to rest on Sunday in Sipahi (Ayia Triada) next to his wife Maroulla Argirou, the daily reported.
North goes up three places in freedom of press index
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs Postasi, Havadis, Kıbrıs, Afrika
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ahmet Muratoğlu, Director of the Prime Ministry’s Public Information Office, expressed his pleasure in seeing the North go up three places in the World Freedom of Press Index (prepared by Reporters Without Borders).
Noting that 3 May is World Freedom of Press Day, Muratoğlu commended the members of the media who carry out their work in line with democratic rights and freedoms despite many difficulties and challenges they face.