Front Page Headlines
₺2,040 pension!
The sorry state of pensioners. Social insurance pensioners who made deposits for 25 years over the minimum wage can currently only receive 60 per cent of the minimum wage as a pension. Such social Insurance pensioners receive a salary of ₺2,040 (approx. €323). The lowest pension received by state pensioners with a primary school diploma is ₺3,106 (approx €493).
- CTP-AKEL met: “The way to a five-party meeting should be opened” –Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman: We are expecting the UN Secretary-General and the leader to show political will. AKEL (Progressive Party of the Working People) General Secretary Andros Kyprianou: Not a great deal of time will be required for a solution if the political will is demonstrated.
LTB chasing after its money whilst NEU thinks it doesn’t have to pay for water!
Interesting facts emerged in the ongoing court case in which the Nicosia Turkish Municipality (LTB) is trying to get the Near East University (NEU) to pay overdue water bills. NEU, which earned a net profit of ₺50 million in 2018, claims the water supplied to the university is free. NEU objected to the sequestration order given by the Nicosia District Court. The issue of unpaid water bills has now been taken to court.
- Nothing changed for 101 days – Delay in the restoration of the Nicosia walls.
- Dönmez: Fatih to start drilling in a short period of time
Execution of sequestration orders becoming easier but how about the interest rates?
The business community is pleased with the amendments made in the debt law allowing the implementation of sequestration orders on salaries and bank accounts of the indebted. However many have expressed concern that the new law has come into force without amendments made to the law on interest rates, the law concerning loan sharks and the law on bankruptcy.
- Yavuz started drilling in Güzelyurt (Morphou) and Fatih is getting ready to drill.
- CTP delegation visits AKEL ahead of the trilateral meeting.
If there is will, there will be a solution
CTP and AKEL met ahead of the trilateral meeting to be held in Berlin. Both have urged the two leaders to display the necessary political will. Delegations from the two parties headed by CTP leader Tufan Erhürman and AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou met on Wednesday at AKEL’s headquarters as part of a series of visits launched by the CTP in support of the process.
It won’t be over in the first round
According to the poll conducted by Gezici (polling company), National Unity Party leader (UBP)-Prime Minister Ersin Tatar is the lead candidate for the presidential election. The polling company conducted face to face interview with 4267 participants. According to the survey, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar will receive 33 per cent of the votes, President Mustafa Akıncı will receive 28.32 per cent and the CTP leader Tufan Erhürman will receive 19.7 per cent of the votes. If the elections go to the second round, Tatar will receive 56.7 per cent while Akıncı will receive 41.7 per cent of the votes.
A dirty perception operation against Akıncı
Gezici once again started to stir the political environment ahead of the election. The Gezici polling company which refrained from announcing results of a poll showing Akıncı as the lead candidate published the results on Wednesday of another poll showing Tatar as the most popular candidate. According to the survey, Tatar leads with 33,9 per cent followed by Akıncı with 28.2 per cent, Erhürman with 19.7 per cent, Peoples’ Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay with 19.7 per cent, leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı with 4 per cent and Democratic Party MP Serdar Denktaş as 3.7 per cent.
Main News
CTP & AKEL highlight need for political will in Berlin
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and (Progressive Party of the Working People) AKEL on Wednesday expressed the need for the trilateral meeting in Berlin to pave the way for a five-party meeting.
Delegations from the two parties headed by CTP leader Tufan Erhürman and AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou met on Wednesday at AKEL’s headquarters as part of a series of visits launched by the CTP in support of the process.
Erhürman told reporters after the meeting that both leaders needed to show political will at the Berlin meeting.
He recalled that the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres after Crans Montana had highlighted the need for a results-oriented and time-framed process that recognized past convergences.
Erhürman said that the basic parameters of a solution which included political equality were clear.
“The Secretary-General must uphold UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on political equality. Only then can a five-party meeting take place,” Erhürman said.
He added that the level of political will demonstrated by the two sides and how much the UN Secretary-General will stand behind UN parameters and his words after Crans Montana will have a determining effect on the outcome in Berlin.
“Our efforts are aimed at reaching an outcome in Berlin that will pave the way for a five-party meeting,” said Erhürman, adding that their two parties will be meeting once against after the November 25 meeting.
AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou also expressed the need for the two sides to demonstrate political will in Berlin to reach an agreement on the six points that make up the Guterres framework.
“Little effort and time will be required to solve the Cyprus Problem if this will is demonstrated,” Kyprianou said.
“Our desire is for the trilateral meeting to pave the way for a give-party meeting and for the Terms of Reference (ToR) which is based on the Guterres framework, past convergences, UN resolutions and High-Level Agreements to be accepted,” he said.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Both leaders need to show political will at the trilateral meeting.
>> Basic parameters of a solution which include political equality clear.
>> UNSG must uphold UNSC resolutions on political equality for a five-party meeting to take place.
>> Level of political will demonstrated by leaders & how much the UN Secretary-General will stand by his words will be determining factor on the outcome of the Berlin meeting.
>> CTP’s efforts aimed at reaching an outcome in Berlin that will pave the way for a five-party meeting.
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> Both leaders need to show the political will to reach agreement on the six-point Guterres Framework.
>> Little effort & time will be required for a solution if this is done.
>> It is AKEL’s desire for the trilateral meeting to pave the way for five-party meeting & an agreement on ToR.
Fatih to resume drilling in a few weeks
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkish drillship Fatih will start a new drilling operation off Cyprus in a few weeks’ time, it was announced on Wednesday.
Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez on Wednesday told reporters that the Fatih, which at the moment is in Mersin for refuelling and maintenance will begin drilling in a few weeks.
The Fatih last week left its location west of Cyprus where it had been anchored since May.
It had carried out drilling in two locations dubbed by Turkey as ‘Finike1’ and ‘Finike 2’.
“It has completed its drilling in the Finike and has come to the port of Tasucu in Mersin for refuelling and resupplying. We shall resume drilling in areas licensed by the TRNC in the coming weeks,” Dönmez said.
Dönmez reminded that Turkey’s second drillship, the Yavuz, has started drilling in the location named ‘Güzelyurt’ (Morphou) a few weeks ago.
He added that the research vessels Oruç Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa are continuing two and three-dimensional surveying of the seabed.
“If there is anything, we will find it and we will announce it,” he said.
Töre slams GC side over plans to amend Green Line regulation
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Human Rights, Citizenship & Migration
OVERVIEW
Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Cypriot Parliament Zorlu Töre on Wednesday slammed the Greek Cypriot side for a proposal to alter the Green Line regulation.
He said that the alteration which suggests that nationals from third countries are migrants and which aims to prohibit them from crossing from the north to the south was unacceptable.
“We condemn the Greek Cypriot side for its racist and outdated approach towards people arriving on the island through the TRNC’s sea and airports,” Töre said in a written statement issued on Wednesday.
Töre’s response came to a proposal tabled by the Greek Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides to amend the regulation which has been in force since 2004.
The regulation currently allows third-country nationals who reside legally in the north, or have valid travel documents, to cross to the south.
Töre who described the move as fascist and racist claimed was part of its wider policy by Greek Cypriots to isolate Turkish Cypriots.
He also said that the move was against efforts to achieve peace and a solution in Cyprus.
“It is the Greek Cypriot side’s mentality which is reinforcing bizonality and idea that there are two states in Cyprus. It was the very same mentality which forced Turkish Cypriots out of the 1960 Cyprus Republic partnership,” he added.
Töre also pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side has been the side that has worked towards introducing more confidence-building measures.
KEY ACTORS
Töre (UBP)
>> Amendments which will prevent nationals from third countries crossing from north to south on grounds they are migrants is unacceptable.
>> The move is fascist and racist and was part of its wider policy by GCs to isolate TCs.
>> The move is against efforts to achieve peace and a solution in Cyprus.
>> It is the GC side’s mentality which is reinforcing bizonality & the idea that there are two separate states in Cyprus.
Gezici poll reveals unexpected results
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Governance & Power Sharing, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Support for President Mustafa Akıncı and his policies are low, according to the results of a survey conducted by Turkish based polling company Gezici published on Wednesday.
The Turkish based polling company conducted face-to-face interviews with 4267 participants over the age of 18, half of which were women from October 26- 28.
The survey results show that a majority of Turkish Cypriots are in favour of a two-state solution, the continuation of Turkey’s guarantees and the continued presence of Turkish troops on the island.
The opinion poll also shows UBP leader-Prime Minister Ersin Tatar as the most popular candidate among possible nominees for the 2020 presidential election with 33.9 per cent of the votes.
According to the poll, Akıncı has 28.2 per cent of the Turkish Cypriot public’s support followed by CTP Tufan Erhürman with 19.7 per cent and HP leader Kudret Özersay with 10.5 per cent.
The poll also shows that Mustafa Akıncı and Ersin Tatar have the strongest chance to advance to the second round of elections. 56.7 per cent of the respondents said Tatar will advance to the second round followed by Akıncı with 41.7 per cent. Tufan Erhürman is in third place with 26.9 per cent and Kudret Özsersay is in fourth place with 12.1 per cent.
In a follow-up question on the second round of the elections, 36.7 per cent of the respondents expressed their belief that Tatar will be successful. Akıncı received 28.2 per cent and Erhürman 18.5 per cent.
Asked to choose between various combinations of possible two candidates in the second round, the respondents were asked first to choose between Akıncı and Tatar.
With the undecided votes distributed equally, Tatar received 54.6 per cent compared to 45.4 for Akıncı.
According to the same poll, Tatar also comes out victorious should he advance to the second round with Erhürman. In such a likely scenario Tatar receives 59.9 per cent to votes while Erhürman receives 40.1 per cent of the votes.
In the event Akıncı and Özersay contest the second round, Akıncı wins the election with a clear lead with 57.8 per cent of the votes while Özersay only receives 42.2 per cent.
Özersay also loses against Erhürman in the event the two are left to the second round. In such a scenario, Erhürman receives 57.3 per cent of the votes whereas Özersay gets only 42.7 per cent.
The poll also shows that should Özersay and Tatar battle it out in the second round, Tatar wins with a clear majority of 60.6 per cent of the votes against Özersay’s 39.4 per cent.
In the final possible Akıncı – Erhürman combination, the poll shows that Akıncı wins the second round with 55.9 per cent of the votes compared to Erhürman’s 44.1 per cent.
In response to a question on which political party they would vote for should there be a general election today, 42.6 per cent of the participants chose the UBP.
25.3 per cent said they would vote for the CTP. 11.9 per cent said they would vote for the HP while 6.1 per cent said they would vote for the YDP.
The Social Democratic Party ranked fifth with 6 per cent. DP is slightly short of the five per cent threshold with 4.8 per cent of the votes.
The other political parties received less than two per cent of the votes.
The survey also states that an overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriots disapproved of Akıncı’s remarks concerning Turkey’s latest military operation in north-eastern Syria.
A whopping 74.4 per cent of participants said they did not agree with his statement and that he shouldn’t have made such remarks in the first place.
According to the same survey, 85.5 per cent of the participants said they did not want Turkish troops to leave the island.
Again 83.2 per cent responded in favour of the continuation of the current system of guarantees on the island.
78.6 per cent said they want a two-state solution while only 16.3 per cent said they favoured a federal settlement with Greek Cypriots.
An 87.1 per cent majority of participants said they did not believe Greek Cypriots wanted a solution while 60.5 per cent said they were concerned about concessions made by Akıncı at the negotiating table.
Regarding a question on alleged concessions given by Akıncı, 25.2 per cent of the respondents said they believed Akıncı gave concessions on the issue of guarantees; 20.6 per cent on the return of Morphou; 20.2 per cent on withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island; 13 per cent on revoking Turkish Cypriots’ right to veto and 21 per cent all of the options above.
On the other hand, former finance minister Birikim Özgür was the first to criticize the results of the Gezici poll.
“The poll aims at creating a misleading perception in the community,” Özgür said on Wednesday.
He added the poll failed to include possible options such as not voting for any political party, casting mixed votes and no answer.
Özgür said, “instead the report gave room to arbitrary statements on the vote percentages of the political parties.”
He also pointed out that none of the candidates listed in the questionnaire has officially announced their candidacies.
Delays in the restoration of the Nicosia walls
Kıbrıs Postası
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The collapsed section of the Venetian walls of Nicosia, the Cephane (Quirini) bastion has remained in the same state for the past 101 days, Kıbrıs Postası reported on Wednesday.
Even though Ali Tuncay, the Turkish Cypriot co-chair of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, had announced that the restoration works would commence in October, there has been no action taken so far. Speaking to Kıbrıs Postası on the issue, Tuncay confirmed the delay in the process but added the contract for restoration works project had been signed with the company that had been awarded the tender.
“The restoration works will commence within a couple of weeks,” Tuncay emphasized.
He reassured that the collapsed section of the wall does not pose a threat to the Quirini bastion.
Moreover, Tuncay noted that there are three projects for the Venetian walls of Nicosia, a section in the Arabahmet area, the section where Akıncı’s office sits and the section from Kyrenia gate to the Çetinkaya football field.
He noted that the restoration works will also include clearing vegetation and overgrowth on the walls.
“The trees especially will be uprooted to prevent further damage to the walls,” Tuncay concluded.