Front Page Headlines
Debt is growing. All eyes on reforms
The municipalities’ debts arising from undeposited social premiums are growing. Some municipalities are now at a stage where they can no longer deposit provident funds and social security premiums due to their increasing debt. All eyes have now turned to the Municipalities Law amendment which aims at restructuring unpaid tax debts and premiums. According to official figures obtained from the Labour Ministry the 213 million Turkish Lira debt in January 2018 has become 244 million TL in June 2019.
- 173 Litres of petrol and 499 Litres of diesel fuel in five months – Fuel demand at crossing points.
- ‘First, solve the economy – While the government announced its steps regarding Maraş (Varosha), the public says that the cost of living should be addressed first.
Plenty to be done in fighting with the grey economy
Economists evaluated the two laws enacted by parliament on “record-keeping” and “refunds” for spending on credit cards. Economist Mustafa Besim emphasized the importance of digitalizing economic activities to minimize the grey economy. Economist Mehmet Saydam noted the laws are very important in the fight against the grey economy. Economist Okan Veli Şafaklı said the laws are spot on implementations for fighting against this problem.
608 inmates in a prison built for 450 people
The number of inmates at the central prison has reached record numbers. This situation is creating hygiene and security problems. The prisoners have to wait in line to use the toilets and the showers.
- There should not be fighting among state institutions –Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay made a statement to deescalate the tension between Akıncı and himself after lashing out at each other via the media.
Industrial area buried in filth
The filth and garbage problem at Nicosia’s Industrial Area has exceeded all other issues. Everyone’s complaining about it but no one is taking any steps on addressing the problem.
Both the children and their families suffer
815 students sat the entrance exam for the Bülent Ecevit Anadolu Lyceum and the 20 Temmuz Fen Lyceum. Only 280 will be admitted. Students and families continue to suffer severe exam stress due to outdated education practices. Families complain that neither they nor their children can cope with the stress.
- All eyes on Istanbul – 10,560,963 voters will be heading to the polls a second time to elect the new mayor of Istanbul.
- Only three of them [vehicles] commercial –Fuel of 74 vehicles confiscated at Greek Cypriot crossing points.
Turkey playing a shadow game (Garagöz)
There has been no misunderstanding. They are just putting on a puppet show. It was claimed that the misunderstanding over the reopening of Maraş (Varosha) resulted from Turkish officials. When Turkish officials corrected the Turkish Cypriot officials who “misunderstood” the Maraş (Varosha) initiative, Kudret Özersay was forced to announce there was no government decision to open the fenced-off city. Whereas Ersin Tatar had already invited Turkish investors to the TRNC to transform the ghost city into Las Vegas. He had told them to start preparing their investment plans.
- Greek Cypriots marching for Maraş (Varosha) – Former residents of Maraş (Varosha) will be staging a protest in front of the presidential palace on Friday, June 28.
- Istanbul on a knife’s edge – Another election in Istanbul. All eyes turned on Istanbul. This election will determine the fate of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the near future.
Main News
New proposal for a solution: Plan C
Kıbrıs
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
An alternative plan for the solution of the Cyprus Problem named “Plan C” has been proposed by Prof.Dr Ahmet Sözen and Dr Leonidas Pantelidis. The plan is proposed as an alternative to Plan A (Federation) and to Plan B (two-state, confederation) models. In an interview published in Kıbrıs on Sunday, Sözen said Plan C proposes to reach a federal solution in a time frame of eight to ten years following two separate referendums.
The solution agreement will be approved in the first referendum and the founding parliament, which will be tasked to draft the federal constitution. It will then be put to the vote in a second and final referendum. Inspired by the Swiss model, which has 26 cantons, Plan C, envisages the island to be divided into regions following the approval of the solution plan. The regions will be governed with a direct democracy style from the grassroots and upwards.
There will be about six to twelve cantons, with each having their own administration. Each canton will send a representative to the federal government for the canton to be represented at the federal level.
In the meantime, the sides will establish different structures from politics to economy, and from military areas to social ones. These structures will contribute to forming the fully functional federation. The island’s defence in the proposed plan will be the responsibility of local forces.
The plan is different from a two-state model in that it keeps power-sharing and collaboration in the foreground. It aims to unite both the communities and the institutions on the island.
Prof. Sözen underlines that his plan does not foresee the establishment of a federal structure the day after the referendum is held but gives it an eight to ten-year period to flourish. “The two communities have not been able to develop a culture of collaboration and cooperation since the 1960’s”, Sözen added.
Sözen said the model also foresees the establishment of bilingual administrative structures with English being the working language at the initial phase.
608 inmates in a prison built for 450 people
Kıbrıs
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The number of detainees at the central prison in Nicosia has reached record numbers. As a result of the recent operations carried out by the police throughout the north, the number of detainees and inmates have now reached 608.
The facility is built to house a maximum of 450 inmates. The increase in numbers is now creating hygiene and security problems. The prison administration decided to keep detainees in corridors, in the room used as a prayer room (masjid) and in classrooms. Each ward has 25 bunk beds to accommodate 50 detainees but the numbers per ward have exceeded the maximum holding capacity, the paper reports. The prisoners have to wait in line to use the toilets and the showers.
Salih Kayalı, head of Union of Wardens, said “there are prisoners forced to sleep in corridors for two years now” in his comments to Kıbrıs. “The situation at the Prison is very serious”, Kayalı said, added the living quarters of the prisoners have become extremely cramped. “The wardens are experiencing severe difficulties in maintaining security and intervening when fights break out in the facility”, Kayalı concluded.