TCC Press Review 29 Nov 2019

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

Well done to those who can afford these prices

Ticket prices have skyrocketed after Atlas airways announced it halted all its flights. A ticket to Istanbul costs as high as ₺2,707 (approx. €422) and ₺7283 (approx. €1137) to London. (Public Works and Communication Minister) Tolga Atakan said that they were working on formulas to address the issue.

  • Strict controls in South for crossings – New arrangements from Greek Cypriots. Greek Cypriots will now be subjected to controls as well. Third-country nationals, for the exception of EU citizens, will not be allowed to cross south. Children will require written consent from parents to be able to cross. Heavy penalties will be imposed on those who cross illegally.

Kıbrıs Postası

Turanlı is focused on a ‘Taşyapı amnesty’!

The owner of Taşyapı (leading consortium member in T&T Ltd., which manages Ercan (Tymbou) airport) Emrullah Turanlı, who claims he does not owe a single cent to the state, is now focused on the social security amnesty that is already being dubbed the ‘Taşyapı amnesty’! Turanlı owes ₺3m to the Social Security Department and ₺6m to the Provident fund but refuses to pay what he owes despite a court order.

  • Tatar met with Czech parliamentarian Jan Zahradil – PM Ersin Tatar has started his contacts in Strasbourg.
  • 8,8bn state budget approved by the budget planning subcommittee.

Kıbrıs

Look at what they are making us eat!

The video footage obtained by Kıbrıs shows the north has once again failed when it comes to food safety and inspections. The video footage shows a butcher in north Nicosia slaughtering a cow that is either already dead or about to die. Yellow bile is clearly visible in the butchered meat. The place where the cattle are butchered is far from meeting the hygiene criteria.

  • Stricter controls to be implemented in Greek Cypriots’ crossings to the north – The Greek Cypriot administration introducers stricter measures for controls at crossing points and the Green Line. It is also announced that Greek Cypriots crossing over to the north will also be inspected.

Havadis

Unemployment is also a problem for women

Hundreds of people in the TRNC are unemployed. However, the unemployment ratio among women in official reports is at alarming levels. According to unemployment figures released by the Labour Ministry, there are 1013 people unemployed as of August 2019. 709 of the total unemployed are women.

  • “I am pleased that it is all sorted out” – PM Ersin Tatar spoke to Havadis regarding the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) document.

Diyalog

Don’t touch children

F.B who raped his 12-year-old niece 12 times in the past two months was cursed at a protest staged to condemn him.

  • Berlin comment – (Former TC leader) Mehmet Ali Talat: “Akıncı brought Anastasiades back on track but he couldn’t succeed in bringing Turkey on board.”

Afrika

Resistance against granting favours

The two education trade unions KTÖS (TC Teachers’ Union) and KTOEÖS (TC Secondary School Teachers’ Union) expressed support to EL-SEN’s (TC Electricity Authority Workers’ Union) strike. KTOEÖS General Secretary Şener Elcil said, “While the private energy firm AKSA is filling its pockets with the public’s money, others are acting like AKSA’s spokesman. President of KTOEÖS Selma Eylem said that their struggle will continue.

  • Case filed by Turkish Cypriot has caused panic in the south – Asım Ebeoğlu is suing the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) for not being able to benefit from the health system.
  • Measures for foreigners at crossing points –The government in the south has introduced new regulations at crossing points for foreigners.

Main News

Akıncı: Efforts for a mutually acceptable solution will continue

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process, CBMs

OVERVIEW

President Mustafa Akıncı on Thursday reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s desire for a mutually acceptable solution in Cyprus in which both communities can live equally and safely.

Speaking in Famagusta, Akıncı said that they will continue to work tirelessly, by protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots, to establish a structure based on two constituent states, in which sovereignty will emanate from two equal communities and all security needs will be addressed.

Akıncı also commented on the opening of the Derinya (Dherynea) crossing point, stating that the high number of people using the crossing was a positive development for Famagusta.

“As I always say, life continues. That is why we shall continue our struggle for a solution while at the same time work to improve conditions in the country, enabling it to be more self-reliant and self-sustaining. Much responsibility falls on our institutions, our government and local administration in achieving this,” he added.

KEY ACTORS
Akıncı
>> TC side’s desires a mutually acceptable solution in Cyprus in which both communities can live equally & safely.
>> TC side will work tirelessly by protecting rights of TCs to establish a structure based on two constituent states in which sovereignty will emanate from two equal communities & all security needs will be addressed.
>> Opening of Derinya (Dherynea) positive development.


Talat: Berlin meeting not the success made out to be

Diyalog
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on Thursday claimed that the outcome of the trilateral meeting in Berlin was not as successful as it was made out to be.

Speaking on Diyalog TV, Talat said that a false impression had been created regarding the outcome of the meeting.

“It’s like we found the donkey we had just lost,” he said, adding that the process was not back on track as claimed.

“Someone is shaking the train from the outside and those in the wagon think they’re moving,” Talat said, pointing out that both the coalition government and Turkey were arguing the opposite of what Akıncı was saying.

He added that Akıncı had only succeeded in bringing Anastasiades back on track but had failed to bring Turkey and the coalition government on board.

“More importantly Akıncı is not pursuing the proactive policy needed for a solution”, argued Talat, claiming that the Cyprus Problem will be in the same place five years from now if Akıncı is re-elected for a second term.

Talat said that it was an important development that political equality and a bicommunal, bizonal federation (BBF) as a basis for a solution had been reaffirmed at the meeting and that the Greek Cypriot leadership had acknowledged this.

“All the UNSG did was announcing that the process is not dead. Therefore nothing new or unexpected emerged from the meeting, Talat said.

Commenting on the system of guarantees, Talat said he believed the system should remain in place as it is.

“The UNSG said that the system of guarantees needed to be replaced by another system but also said we should continue to discuss the future of military presence on the island even if this will not include the guarantors’ unilateral right to intervene. We could introduce a mechanism called the “Alarm Bell” to replace the unilateral right to intervention. This is a mechanism whereby parliament calls on a third party to intervene,” he added.

KEY ACTORS
Talat (CTP)
>> Berlin meeting, not the success it has been made out to be.
>> Reaffirmation of political equality and BBF as the basis of talks positive but nothing new achieved in Berlin.
>> Akıncı only succeeded in bringing Anastasiades on track. However, Turkey & coalition are not on board.
>> Akıncı not pursuing the proactive policy needed for a solution.
>> System of guarantees should stay in place.
>> If the system of guarantees will be replaced other mechanisms could be introduced. 


Turkey & Libya sign deal on maritime zones in the Med

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy

OVERVIEW

Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government have signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea as well as a deal on expanded security and military cooperation, Ankara said on Thursday.

Turkish Cypriot media said there were no immediate details on the maritime accord, which it added could further complicate disputes over energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean where Turkish drilling has angered Greek Cypriots, Athens and the European Union (EU).

The new agreements were signed at a meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and Fayez al-Serraj, the head of the Tripoli-based government which Ankara is backing against a rival military force based in eastern Libya.

“The (security) agreement establishes training and education, structures the legal framework, and strengthens the ties between our militaries,” the Turkish presidency’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said in a tweet.

“We will also continue advocating for a political solution to build a democratic, stable and prosperous Libya,” he said.

Altun’s office said in a statement that the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the “delimitation of maritime jurisdictions”, which aims to protect the two countries’ rights under international law.

Commenting on the agreement on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, “This agreement means protecting Turkey’s rights deriving from international law,”

He said that such accords could be agreed with other countries if differences could be overcome and that Ankara was in favour of “fair sharing” of resources, including off Cyprus.

Çavuşoğlu added that turkey could meet with whichever country it pleased on the issue of jurisdiction in the Mediterranean except for the Greek Cypriot administration.

KEY ACTORS
Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)
>> This agreement means protecting Turkey’s rights deriving from international law.
>> Such accords can be agreed with other countries if differences are overcome & Ankara is in favour of “fair sharing” of resources, including off Cyprus.
>> Turkey could meet with whichever country it pleases on jurisdiction in the Med expect for the GC administration.  


GC side introduces stricter measures at crossings

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Human Rights, Migration & Citizenship

OVERVIEW

The Greek Cypriot side has imposed stricter controls on crossings and a ban on third-country nationals from crossing into the south from the north, all six dailies reported on Friday, citing reports in the Greek Cypriot press.

The Greek Cypriot cabinet approved amendments to the existing Green Line regulation to ban third-country nationals arriving from any port of entry into the north, such as Ercan (Tymbou) airport, which the Greek Cypriot side accepts as an illegal port of entry.

The amendments also include prohibiting third-country nationals residing in the south with a temporary work-permit to cross into the north. 

Moreover, the amendments, even though packaged as measures to curb the uncontrolled influx of migrants, also impose stricter controls on the Greek Cypriots returning from the north at the crossing points.

An additional measure introduced is that children under the age of 18 will require written consent from their parents or will need to have one parent present when crossing over to the north.


TÜRKSEN files a lawsuit for TCs left out of GESY in the south

Diyalog
Human Rights

OVERVIEW

A lawsuit has been filed against the Greek Cypriot administration, which deprives thousands of Turkish Cypriots of their health and education rights in the south, Diyalog reported on Friday.

TÜRK-SEN (Federation of Turkish Cypriot trade unions) Foreign Affairs Secretary Asım Ebeoğlu told the paper that TÜRK-SEN has a filed the lawsuit to protect the Turkish Cypriots who cannot benefit from new health scheme in the south even though deductions are made from their pensions.

“The Greek Cypriot authorities are telling Turkish Cypriots they cannot benefit from the services because they reside in the north,” he said, adding that the same excuse was being used to cut off youth scholarships for Turkish Cypriots studying abroad with their Republic of Cyprus (RoC) citizenship,” Ebeoğlu noted.

He added TÜRK-SEN, which collaborates with SEK in the south, initiated dialogue with the authorities in the south first but failed. Thus, they had to file the lawsuit, the first hearing which will be held on 3 December.

Ebeoğlu said there are more than five thousand Turkish Cypriots, who are affected by the law that cannot benefit from the health services in the south.


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