Front Page Headlines
There’s light at Ledra, ‘fear’ at Lokmacı
Three injured and seven arrested in a fight which broke out between two groups at the heart of Nicosia. Three people were stabbed in the fight. It has been claimed that 30 people were involved in the fight which spread fear and panic in the area.
- 9.5 billion dollars in 18 years – Agreement reached on the Aphrodite gas field.
- “The price difference is the reason for meat smuggling” – 6,205 kg of smuggled meat have been seized in the last six months. The head of the Butchers’ Association Halil Akbıçak warned that the incentive behind smuggling meat from the South to the North was the price difference.
- Negligence and carelessness cause of fires – 1038 fires have broken out since 2000 in the island’s north, burning a total of 12,031 hectares of forest and private land in the process.
Invest to grab the incentive
Incentives for tourism investments attract foreign investors. We bring the investors to our country with attractive incentives but are unable to prevent their flouting of the laws and rules.
- The number of armed-attack suspects in Famagusta reaches six – Police arrested three more men on Wednesday in connection with an armed attack on the Themis building, which houses a number of legal offices.
- More cyclists, more freedom for women – Şerife Akcan, founder of the BSD (Bisiklet Severler Derneği – Cyclists’ Association) Women’s Team said there are serious safety issues and inadequate traffic rules in the country in an interview with Kıbrıs on cycling and being a female cyclist.
Nine-and-a-half billion Dollars
Greek Cypriot administration and Noble-Shell-Delek consortium reached a principle agreement on “Aphrodite” gas field revealing striking numbers. Natural gas from Aphrodite to be processed at plants in Egypt will have an operational cost which will exceed eight billion dollars. The Greek Cypriot administration will gain nine-and-a-half billion dollars in revenues over a period of 18 years.
- Floating Mercedes – A Mercedes, which was at a mechanic at the time, was carried into the sea with the floods in Kyrenia. It is waiting to be taken out of the sea for five months.
Unfortunate for this country
Seven people arrested following an armed fight in Nicosia’s historic and touristic Arasta area (Ledra crossing) which has not been patrolled by police for years.
- ‘Tripartite cooperation’ – Greek, Armenian and Greek Cypriot foreign ministers meet in South Cyprus.
Who does Cyprus belong to?
One of the world’s leading experts on the Middle East, journalist Hüsnü Mahalli claimed that the biggest obstacle for a solution in Cyprus is Israel. Mahalli said that Israel has been showing special attention to Cyprus since it was created in 1948 and trying to prevent a solution. He said that a united Cyprus or a Cyprus that is united with Turkey or Greece will definitely not serve Israel’s interests.
Main News
The price difference between North and South continues to encourage meat smuggling
Yenidüzen
Internal security
OVERVIEW
The head of the Turkish Cypriot Butchers’ Association Halil Akbıçak told Yenidüzen on Thursday that enormous difference in meat prices between the two sides is the main reason why so much of it is smuggled to the North. He said that a kilo of lamb which costs 6.5 Euros (approx. 45 TL) in the South is sold for 77-80 TL in the North.
Akbıçak also pointed out that the method of importing meat in order to lower prices had worked in the past.
“This is the only way we can discourage meat smuggling,” he argued.
Yenidüzen reported that 6,205 kg of smuggled meat have been seized by authorities in the North in the past six months alone. Police seized 89 kg of sheep’s meat at the Metehan (Ayios Dometios) crossing point on Monday. On May 30 police had seized 350 kg of sheep’s meat in Vadili (Vatili).
Yet again in a raid on May 18, police caught smugglers in Türkmenköy (Kontea) trying to smuggle 510 kg of meat.
Yenidüzen reports that sheep’s meat is not the only thing that is smuggled across the border.
Police found large quantities of poultry and seafood in two separate raids carried out in Alsancak (Karavas) and Haspolat (Mia Milia) on April 24.
The paper reports that police carried out its first operation of the year in the first days of April, seizing five tonnes of meat.
Success in reducing penalty fees for late birth registrations
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs
Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Serdar Atai’s five-year-long personal struggle and his refusal to pay a 150 Euro penalty fee for the delayed birth registration of his daughter resulted in victory.
Atai was informed in 2014 he had to pay a 150 Euro fine when applying to obtain a Republic of Cyprus (RoC) birth-certificate for his newly born daughter. He had refused to pay the fine and took the matter up first with the Greek Cypriot Ombudsperson Eliza Savvidou and then Eleni Mavrou, chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on Internal Affairs at the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives. Following a five-year struggle, the Greek Cypriot administration revoked the 150 Euro fine and instead allowed the 30 Euro penalty fee for registrations after 15 days, to be applicable to all late registrations.
Atai, commenting on the issue said that the first step had been to lift the requirement for all new-born babies to be physically present before the District Office official for registration. He said that the process had been delayed until the Ombudsperson had changed. He then wrote a ten-page-long report on the issue in 2017 which led to the decision to lift the requirement.
His plight was followed by his request in writing for more reasonable penalty fees for late registrations, which resulted in the reduction of the fee to 30 Euros.
Atai, thanked Savvidou and Mavrou for their assistance and urged Turkish Cypriot families to register their children with the Greek Cypriot authorities without any further delay.
No migrants, only two life vests found
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis,
Human Rights, Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
It is believed a boat carrying migrants sank near Zafer Burnu (Cape Apostolos Andreas) at the tip of the Karpaz peninsula. A pilot flying over the area informed the authorities that s/he had seen two life vests floating on the sea surface. Moreover, it was claimed that a rescue flare was also fired. The coast guard which carried out a search by sea and air only found two life vests, which strengthens the possibility that the boat carrying the migrants sank.