Front Page Headlines
Not fighting, a solution and peace
Tufan Erhürman becomes the first candidate for the April 2020 presidential elections. The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) announced on Tuesday night at an expanded party assembly meeting that its candidate for the 2020 presidential elections is Tufan Erhürman.
- Tatar and Özersay called to Ankara
A shocking formula for direct flights
A very critical claim has been made on the issue of direct flights, which the TRNC government has been working on for a long time. According to information obtained from a high-level source, the TRNC government is planning on bypassing obstacles on direct flights through the new flight information region (FIR) to be announced by the Royal Air Force stationed at the Sovereign British Areas (SBA).
- Erhürman is the first candidate – CTP announced it will running the presidential race with Tufan Erhürman as its candidate. CTP leader announced his goal “Start working today for tomorrow’s Cyprus”.
Hotels hit by the economic crisis
TC Hoteliers’ Association (KITOB) President Dimağ Çağıner said there were not enough tourist arrivals in the north in 2019. He added they are working towards 2020. The occupancy rate at hotels dropped in 2019 compared to the previous year.
- CTP’s candidate is Tufan Erhürman – CTP became the first party to officially announce its candidate for the April 2020 presidential elections. The party announced Erhürman as its candidate with a grand ceremony.
Excitement over Erhürman in CTP
Main opposition CTP announced its leader Tufan Erhürman as the party’s candidate in a meeting attended by the party’s assembly and supporters.
- 6629 applications – 1203 concluded – The bill to extend the application deadline by two years for the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) has been approved by parliament. There are 5232 applications pending evaluation by the IPC. There are concluded cases which have not been paid the due compensation amount for the past six years.
₺750m could not be found
Applications have been made to the TRNC Immovable Property Commission (IPC) for the sale of 280 properties but it has been announced that no decisions have been made. The TRNC parliament which for years has failed to pass a simple bill that would create funding for the IPC put forward interesting figures. National Unity Party (UBP) MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu said on Tuesday that 6629 Greek Cypriots had applied to the commission for the sale of their properties but that only 1203 of these cases had been finalized. Hasipoğlu also gave interesting figures concerning the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) which has been on the agenda for months with the inventory being conducted in the town. He said that there was a need for ₺750m to pay 280 persons who applied to sell their property in Maraş (Varosha) but that the funding could not be found.
- He’s officially in the race – Tufan Erhürman has been nominated as the CTP’s candidate.
CTP’s candidate Tufan Erhürman
The CTP has become the first party to officially nominate a presidential candidate. The party announced its candidate at an expanded party assembly meeting on Tuesday night. The party assembly unanimously approved Erhürman’s nomination, launching his election campaign.
- Hidden danger for Cyprus – Comments in the south regarding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In addition to being used for observation and reconnaissance purposes, the vehicles have bombing capabilities.
Main News
Erhürman announces candidacy
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Tufan Erhürman has become the Republican Turkish Party’s (CTP) nominee for the 2020 presidential elections.
Erhürman who launched his campaign at a party event held in Nicosia on Tuesday night became the first among potential candidates to announce his decision to run.
The event held under the slogan “for tomorrow’s Cyprus” was attended by the party’s top brass, CTP delegates, former leaders and party sympathisers.
Addressing a packed room, Erhürman said his party remained committed to the goal of achieving a bizonal, bicommunal federal (BBF) settlement based on political equality.
Erhürman underlined the importance of a solution and warned that failing to settle the Cyprus Problem will have consequences not just for the island but the region as well.
“Unfortunately, we were proven right. Developments around us in the region show us that unless we solve the Cyprus Problem it will be not possible to prevent further escalation of tensions and create possible conflicts,” he said.
Erhürman said that with every passing day, the equation in the region was becoming increasingly complicated and the number of actors involved were increasing.
“It will become harder not just for Cypriots but for everyone living on this island to have a say about the future of Cyprus and to be influential actors,” he added.
Erhürman pointed out that the status quo was unsustainable and its continuation was having an adverse effect on all segments of Turkish Cypriot society.
He added that the Turkish Cypriot community no longer had the luxury of wasting time.
Regarding the settlement of the Cyprus Problem, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot community’s will for a settlement will be brought to the attention of the international community.
“The Turkish Cypriot community will be on the agenda of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the region and all influential states or actors. Our will for a solution, our just demands under conditions resulting from the absence of a settlement and our efforts for a solution will constantly be placed before them,” he said.
Erhürman highlighted the need for a proactive policy on the Cyprus Issue, adding that if he is elected, diplomacy will not only be conducted at the state level but through lobbying and academic activities as well.
“While we tirelessly tell the world about our will for a solution we shall at the same time take steps that will bring us closer to the international community. Our efforts to build peace will continue uninterruptedly. The Office of the President is our most important window to the world,” he added.
Erhürman also vowed to work intensively, if elected, in other areas such as tourism, higher education, trade, sports as well as arts and culture.
“We shall set up cadres which will develop contacts not only with the Greek Cypriots but the world as well. We do not have the luxury to lose any more time in absence of a settlement despite our open will for a solution,” he said.
Erhürman underlined the importance of reaching a settlement which will safeguard the interests of both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.
“Our goal is to achieve a solution which will allow all inhabitants of this island to live in peace and justice. Our vision is to carry to the future the existence, culture and identity of the Turkish Cypriot people,” he said.
The CTP leader added that it was important not polarize, divide or alienate Turkish Cypriot society in the process. We also aim to pass new confidence building-measures or one-sided steps while we demonstrate our strong will for a solution, Erhürman added.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> CTP remains committed to a BBF based on political equality.
>> Failing to solve Cyprob will have consequences for Cyprus & the region.
>> Every passing day conditions for a solution are becoming harder.
>> Status quo is unsustainable & its continuation is having an adverse effect on all segments of TC community.
>> TC community no longer has the luxury of wasting time.
>> TC community’s will for a solution will be constantly raised to the agenda of the int’l community.
>> Proactive policies & more active diplomacy will be conducted on the Cyprob.
>> Solution must safeguard the interests of both TCs & GCs.
>> Important not to polarize or divide society when doing this.
Urgent funding needed for IPC
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
The Turkish Cypriot parliament approved a draft bill on Monday extending the Immovable Property Commission’s (IPC) period of operation for another two years, all dailies reported on Wednesday.
Greek Cypriot owners of property in the north will now have another 24 months to apply to the IPC for remedies concerning their properties.
The remedies on offer supposedly include restitution (return) of the property, exchange of property with Turkish Cypriot-owned property in the south and compensation for loss of use.
The head of Parliament’s Legal and Political Affairs Committee National Unity Party (UBP) MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu on Tuesday said the IPC has so far concluded 1203 cases out of 6629 applications.
He said there were currently 5232 pending applications, which the IPC has not even started evaluating yet.
Hasipoğlu also said there were 280 applications concerning property located within the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) and that there was a need to find ₺750m (approx. €115m) to pay the applicants for their properties.
He pointed out that there is demand from various circles to improve and to make the IPC more effective but that the Greek Cypriot side continued its guardianship regime regarding Turkish Cypriot-owned properties in the south while at the same time continuing with its obstructions on the EU Direct Trade Regulation and freedom of travel.
Hasipoğlu said even though the TRNC was not recognized internationally, the north strived to abide by international law and human rights.
“The Greek Cypriot side even prevented the crossing of a child to the south. This cannot be within the international human rights,” Hasipoğlu argued.
He urged the Turkish Cypriot side to raise this unlawful limitation on the freedom of movement at the international level and said: “The issue of who is allowed to cross and disallowed should be raised at the negotiations table.”
Meanwhile, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (TDP) Cemal Özyiğit on Monday highlighted the need to find urgent funding for the IPC so that it may pay overdue compensation to Greek Cypriot property owners.
He added the “guardianship mechanism similar to the one in the south” should have been established in the north to avoid the problems faced today.
“A property is Turkified once the compensation amount is paid. It results in an increase in the value of the property in question therefore, those who have created this problem should pay the price,” Özyiğit stressed.
He recalled the raison d’etre for the establishment of the IPC and said: “the compensations payments to date had been made by Turkey but due to economic and other reasons, payments have been stopped.”
Özyiğit also condemned the Greek Cypriot side for preventing the crossing of a 15-year-old girl to the south.
KEY ACTORS
Hasipoğlu (UBP)
>> The GC side’s decision to prevent the crossing of a child to the south cannot be in line with the int’l human rights.
>> TC side should raise this unlawful limitation on the freedom of movement at the int’l level.
>> The issue of who is allowed to cross & disallowed should be raised at the negotiations table.
Özyiğit (TDP)
>> Funding for the IPC must be created urgently to pay overdue compensation payments.
>> Guardianship mechanism similar to the one in the south should have been established in the north to avoid the problems faced today.
>> Those who have created this problem should pay the price.
A shocking formula for direct flights
Kıbrıs Postası
Economy, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
“The TRNC government is planning on bypassing obstacles on direct flights through the new flight information region (FIR) to be announced by the Royal Air Force stationed at the Sovereign British Areas (SBA),” Kıbrıs Postası reported on Wednesday.
Citing a high-level official as it’s source the paper says that planes that fly over the new FIR under the control of the British bases, will not be subjected to any sanctions or to any international obstructive measures. Furthermore, the source confirmed that the Turkish Cypriot officials have been holding meetings with the SBA officials on the issue.
“The said FIR is a matter for the sovereign status of the British bases therefore, the planes that use that FIR can land at any airport in the north. A landing permit given by the SBA would suffice,” the source said.
It argued that the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) which does not exercise effective control over the northern part of the island, cannot obstruct or prevent such flights.
“The RoC does not have any authority over the SBA in the first place,” the source added.
The same source also argued that according to international law, the TRNC is seen as a “de-facto part of RoC” but that achieving direct flights would grant the TRNC somewhere between a de-facto and de-jure status in terms of recognition.
The source added that the same FIR usage-system is applied in the case of Taiwan.
“Following Brexit, the relations between the RoC and the UK cannot be dealt with as an internal issue at the EU, therefore, making it possible to tackle issues at different platforms,” the source noted.