Front Page Headlines
More concrete for Famagusta, İskele (Trikomo) and Yeniboğaziçi (Agios Sergios)
Agricultural land has been opened to construction according to the new draft of the Famagusta, İskele (Trikomo)- Yeniboğaziçi (Agios Sergios) Master Plan. The way for massive construction, particularly in İskele (Trikomo) has been opened.
NEU claims they didn’t receive water bills but LTB says bills were signed as received
Near East University (NEU) claimed the Nicosia Turkish Municipality (LTB) never sent the university any water bill. The LTB in response presented the court with copies of the water bills, which were signed as received by a NEU official.
- “We are not upset with the journalists” – Turkish Cypriot co-chair of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage Ali Tuncay apologized for the delay in the restoration of the Venetian walls of Nicosia with a post on social media.
The budget contains discrepancies
Experts claim that the 2020 State budget draft has not prepared according to statistical data. KTAMS (TC Public Servants’ Union) President Devrim Barçın said the budget envisages a 33.52 per cent increase in road taxes and a 92 per cent increase in ID card fees. He added there are many more such discrepancies but to implement such price hikes, there needs to be additional work done to amend existing laws or declaring an amnesty for unpaid road taxes.
₺10 million advantage
The claims on Aksa Energy Production (Aksa Enerji Üretim) have become true! The company had attempted to ship to Africa a power generator which has been kept in storage at the state warehouse for the past two-and-a-half years without having any payment of warehouse storage fees. Aksa had imported the power generator in 2017 but was unable to clear it from customs after it emerged the generator did not have an import permit. Aksa owes the state more than ₺10 million in unpaid rent. The daily cost of keeping the generator in storage is ₺11,000 including value-added tax (VAT). The Council of Ministers has decided to exempt Aksa Energy Production from the warehouse storage fees completely.
He kept his promise
Özersay cancelled a decision taken by the Council of Ministers in 2017 leasing the Yavuz Çıkarma (Five Mile) Beach to a private company. The beach was rented out two years ago to two companies owned by the Altınbaş Holding for the construction of a hotel. While the beach was never actually rented out, the decision was still valid before it was cancelled on Thursday.
Akıncı: 47.4 per cent, Tatar: 33.5 per cent
We got hold of another poll conducted by Gezici but not published. We are announcing the results of a poll conducted by Gezici in October but which the polling company did not announce. According to the poll, the outcome of the election will be determined in two rounds of voting. While Mustafa Akıncı will receive 31.1 per cent in the first round, Ersin Tatar will be receiving 25.3 per cent of the votes. The two will be followed by Erhürman with 17.1 per cent, Özersay 12.7 per cent, Denktaş with 8.6 per cent and Arıklı 5.2 per cent.
Main News
Alternative poll suggests Akıncı as favourite
Afrika
Governance and Power & Sharing
OVERVIEW
Following the surprising results of the latest opinion poll for the 2020 presidential elections conducted by Gezici polling on Wednesday, Afrika published on Friday the results of what it claimed was an alternative poll conducted by the same company a month earlier.
According to the earlier survey which was not published, it is President Mustafa Akıncı and not National Unity Party (UBP) leader-Prime Minister Ersin Tatar who is set to win the race in the event both announce their candidacies.
According to the poll, the outcome of the election will be determined in two rounds of voting.
While Mustafa Akıncı will receive 31.1 per cent in the first round, Ersin Tatar will be receiving 25.3 per cent of the votes.
The two will be followed by Erhürman with 17.1 per cent, Özersay 12.7 per cent, Denktaş with 8.6 per cent and Arıklı 5.2 per cent.
The poll shows that Akıncı will receive 47.4 per cent of the votes in the second round while Tatar will receive 33.5 per cent.
19.1 per cent of voters were undecided for the second round.
The paper also claimed that a businessman had paid ₺180,000 for the survey to be conducted.
Afrika also claims that Tatar and owner of the Gezici polling company Murat Gezici had held a private meeting last month in Ankara.
TC side prefers collaboration on hydrocarbons
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy, Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
“The Turkish Cypriot side chooses collaboration over conflicts. This is the path we choose to walk on,” Interior Minister Ayşegül Baybars said on Thursday.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the Turkish Asian Centre for Strategic Studies, Baybars argued that Cyprus, despite its small size, has become an extremely important and strategic location due to the recent discovery of hydrocarbon reserves.
“The newly discovered hydrocarbon reserves have resulted in the introduction of new parameters in terms of security, defence and economic balances,” Baybars said.
She added that the discovery of hydrocarbons have changed the cards on the table adding that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have insisted that resources belonged to both communities on the island.
“Our joint position is not based on rhetoric but is also evident in action,” the minister stressed. She said there are many examples in the world on exploring, utilizing and marketing hydrocarbon resources, which in some areas have resulted in conflicts but raised prosperity in others.
“In this respect, the path the Turkish Cypriot side has adopted is collaboration. In other words, we want first the two peoples on the island and then the region to benefit from these resources,” Baybars said.
She pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side prefers the path which will not lead to destabilizing the region.
“Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal of collaboration will assist the Eastern Mediterranean region is regaining its stability,” Baybars underlined.
She recalled the Turkish Cypriot side has been submitting proposals for co-management and collaboration on the natural resources since 2011. “Unfortunately all the proposals including the latest one submitted in July have been rejected by the Greek Cypriot side on the basis of sovereignty claims,” Baybars said.
“Despite the Turkish Cypriot side’s good-willed intentions, the Greek Cypriot leadership continues to adopt a maximalist approach and insists on continuing with its unilateral activities.
They have chosen the path to escalate tension through various provocations,” Baybars added.
She also noted that the Greek Cypriot side had also adopted the same irreconcilable stance in the 51-year-old negotiations process.
She said the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposals for collaboration are still valid and on the table. “Nonetheless, the Turkish Cypriot side will continue its drilling activities as long as the Greek Cypriot side refuses all offers for cooperation,” Baybars stressed.
“The international community must encourage the Greek Cypriot leadership to cooperate as regional cooperation to be carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean will not only contribute to global security but will also have positive economic benefits,” she concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Baybars
>> The Turkish Cypriot side chooses collaboration over conflicts.
>> Cyprus despite its small size has become extremely important & strategic due to recent discovery of hydrocarbon reserves.
>> The newly discovered resources have resulted in the introduction of new parameters in terms of security, defence & economic balances.
>> The discovery of hydrocarbons has changed the cards on the table.
>> Turkey & the TC side have insisted the resources belong to both communities on the island.
>> TC side desires collaboration so that the two communities and region benefits from these resources.
>> The TC side prefers a path which will not destabilize the region.
>> TC side’s proposal of collaboration will assist the East Med. region is regaining its stability.
>> Despite the TC side’s good-willed intentions, the GC leadership continues to adopt its maximalist approach & insists on continuing with its unilateral activities, escalating tensions through various provocations.
>> TC side’s proposals for collaboration are still valid.
>> The TC side will continue its drilling activities as long as the GC side refuses all offers for cooperation.
>> The international community must encourage the GC leadership to cooperate as this will contribute to global security & will have positive economic benefits.