Front Page Headlines
This is 2020’s TRNC
Director of İzmer (ceramic company) Arsen Angı who was forced to take his own precautions against an overflowing river in Haspolat (Mia Milia) after heavy rains is preparing to sue the authorities for the negligence of duty.
- Özersay steps down as party leader did not resign as foreign minister but is an independent candidate
- Özersay and Tatar are going to Istanbul to meet with Erdoğan
He put aside his party leadership to announce his candidacy
Leader of People’s Party (HP), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay put the party’s leadership aside to announce his candidacy for the April 2020 presidential elections.
The ordeal of the rainfall
The heavy rains and consequent floods have caused serious damage to crops. Farmers are worried about their harvest as the fields are all flooded. Raif İlker Buran, Director of the Meteorology Department, said the floods are caused by our poor infrastructure and not by the amount of rainfall.
- 9873 unemployed in the TRNC – Labour and Social Security Ministry launched an online platform for both employers and employees.
- Kudret Özersay to run as an independent candidate – He put aside his party leadership to run for the April 2020 presidential elections.
Expectations are very different…
UN Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar met separately with the two leaders her visit to New York where she will brief the UN Security Council. Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades insists that peacekeepers should remain on the island whereas President Mustafa Akıncı insists that the report must emphasize political equality and the importance of dialogue to overcome the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Kudret Özersay’s candidacy not a surprise – HP leader Kudret Özersay announced he will run as an independent candidate.
₺700m to be allocated for defence
Prime Minister Ersin Tatar who is going to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be asking for the release of ₺150m ‘assistance’ dating back to 2019 and a further ₺1.4bn for 2020. The money will be used to complete the Nicosia ring road, the mountain pass and the new prison building. ₺700m of the ₺1.4bn will be used for defence expenditures.
- ‘He will be running as an independent’ – Kudret Özersay announced his candidacy for the presidency following (Republican Turkish Party leader-CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman.
- Turkish Cypriots enjoyed the snow in Troodos
- He will wait for two months –Man arrested at Lokmacı (Ledra) crossing for trying to smuggle 195gr of drugs sent to prison.
Erdoğan summoned them
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan summoned Peoples’ Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay and Ersin Tatar to Turkey right after Özersay announced his candidacy as an independent. The meeting is expected to focus on the presidential elections. It will become clear whether Tatar will become a candidate after this meeting.
Main News
Akıncı: Report to UNSC should include political equality
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Negotiations Process, Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
“It is important that the outcome of the trilateral meeting held in Berlin, particularly the highlighting of political equality is reflected in the report to be presented to the UN Security Council (UNSC),” Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı said after meeting with UN special representative Elizabeth Spehar on Thursday.
Spehar also met with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades on the same day.
The UN special representative met separately with the two leaders ahead of her visit to New York where she will brief the UN Security Council in the framework of the deliberations for the renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate.
According to the provisional programme of work of the UN Security Council for this month, consultations on UNFICYP will take place on January 20 while the adoption of the UN resolution for the renewal of the peacekeeping force’s mandate has been scheduled for January 30.
Akıncı said that the problems being experienced in the Eastern Mediterranean as a result of the discovery of hydrocarbons had increased the urgency to solve the Cyprus Problem.
He said that a solution was no longer just a necessity for Cyprus but the whole region as well.
Akıncı recalling the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal on hydrocarbons made in July said it was important that the UNSC included in its report the importance of dialogue for the solution of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Thursday’s meeting was attended by Akıncı’s spokesman Barış Burcu, his special political advisor Meltem Onurkan Samani, his legal affairs advisor Sülen Karabacak and other members of the Turkish Cypriot negotiating team.
KEY ACTORS
Akıncı
>> Report to UNSC should include outcome of Berlin trilateral, particularly political equality.
>> Importance of solving hydrocarbon issue through dialogue should also be included in report.
>> Hydrocarbon crisis has increased urgency of solving Cyprob.
>> Solving Cyprob no longer just a necessity for Cyprus but the region as well.
Özersay announces candidacy for TC president
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
In an anticipated move, the leader of the Peoples’ Party Kudret Özersay announced on Thursday that he will be running for the 2020 presidential elections in the north as an independent candidate.
Özersay who currently holds the position of HP leader, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the north is the second person, following the Republican Turkish Party’s leader Tufan Erhürman, to officially announce his candidacy.
He had hinted his intention to run during an address at a reception on Monday night marking the fourth anniversary of his party.
The HP’s assembly had convened on Wednesday to discuss Özersay’s candidacy.
Özersay who announced his candidacy via social media said he was stepping down as the party leader because of his decision to run as an independent.
“The Office of the President is an institution that must stand at equal distance to all political parties and must be impartial thus I will put aside my party leadership from the day I announce my candidacy,” Özersay said.
He pointed out the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean dictated the need for proactive and creative policies to achieve peace and stability while protecting the rights and the interests of the Turkish Cypriots.
“In a similar vein, to achieve a mutually acceptable agreement in Cyprus, new policies are required instead of a repetition of the old ones,” Özersay said.
He noted that it is very important for the Turkish Cypriots’ voice to be heard and the political will of the community to be reflected at every platform at the international level.
He also said that the developments in the north prove the need for the authorities to refrain from polarizing and discriminatory approaches and rhetoric.
“A leadership that will be the voice of the entire community is vital at such a critical time like today,” Özersay added.
“With my education on diplomacy and international relations, years-long experience on the negotiations table representing Turkish Cypriots and two-year-experience as deputy prime minister and foreign minister, I believe that I can accomplish this mission, protect rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots and carry [them] forward,” Özersay said.
Özersay also summarized his vision for the presidency.
He said the Turkish Cypriot side must have among its priorities a multi-faceted and proactive foreign policy.
“I will work towards instating the Turkish Cypriot community as an actor even before a solution through a proactive and creative foreign policy,” Özersay stressed.
On the economy, Özersay said that he will work to use Brexit type international developments to the advantage of the North’s economy.
“I will also proceed with the Maraş (Varosha) initiative launched by the government and take on the responsibility to open the fenced-off city in line with international law,” Özersay said.
Regarding a solution to the Cyprus Problem, Özersay said he supported a settlement but that all past solution process on the island had been trapped in a vicious circle which needed to be broken.
He expressed the view it is not possible to solve the Cyprus problem by repeating the same methods in place for the past 50 years.
Özersay argued that everyone sees and acknowledges the fact that the Greek Cypriot side is not ready to share the power and the wealth with the Turkish Cypriot side.
He added that the required trust between the two communities to establish a federation is not there either.
He underscored “the conditions for a federal solution do not exist in Cyprus at the moment.”
“Collaboration before a solution for the solution is a new approach and is more reasonable,” Özersay noted adding that was more realistic to build a partnership based on trust developed through collaboration on a number of issues between the two.
He recalled the European Union (EU) had become what it is today by collaborating on coal and steel.
“The interdependency that will be created through collaboration will also contribute to regional peace and stability as well,” Özersay said.
Özersay concluded by touching on the relations with Turkey and said he believed it is possible to stand proud without having to fight and to maintain good relations with Turkish Cypriots’ sole strategic partner and ally Turkey.
He noted that he will soon hold a press conference to share his vision in detail with the public.
KEY ACTORS
Özersay (HP)
>> The presidency is an institution that must stand at an equal distance to all political parties & must be impartial.
>> Proactive & creative policies are needed to establish peace & stability while protecting the rights & interests of the TCs.
>> New policies are required to achievea mutually acceptable agreement in Cyprus.
>> It is very important for the TCs’ voice to be heard & their political will reflected at every int’l platform.
>> There is a need for TC authorities to refrain from actions that polarizing & discriminate within society.
>> A leadership that will be the voice of the entire community is vital at such a critical time.
>> The TC side must have a multi-faceted & proactive foreign policy.
>> TC community can be accepted as an actor even before the solution with a proactive & creative foreign policy.
>> The Maraş (Varosha) initiative launched by the government will continue until the fenced-off city is opened in line with the int’l law.
>> Support for a mutually acceptable solution in Cyprus will continue but same unsuccessful methods cannot be repeated.
>> The conditions for a federal solution do not exist in Cyprus at the moment.
>> Collaboration before a solution for a solution is a new approach & is more reasonable.
>> Building partnership based on trust through collaboration is more realistic.
>> The interdependency that will be created through collaboration will contribute to regional peace & stability.
>> Possible to stand proud without having to fight & to maintain good relations with Turkish Cypriots’ sole strategic partner Turkey.
Turkey ready to cooperate with all Med actors, except GCs
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Ankara is ready to sit at the table with all the regional countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, except for South Cyprus, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
“To turn the Eastern Mediterranean into a cooperation zone rather than a conflict zone, we (as Turkey) are ready to cooperate with all of the countries except for the Greek Cypriot side,” the ministry stated.
The ministry’s statement came following a meeting of Greece, France, Cyprus and Egypt in Cairo where Turkey’s initiatives in the region have been misjudged.
Underlining that the claims of the aforementioned countries regarding the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean are based on “unrealistic arguments,” the ministry stated that Turkey’s memorandum with Libya on the issue is completely “lawful” and “legitimate.”
“These memorandums are a response to the parties that try to overlook Turkey’s and Turkish Cypriots’ rights in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the statement expressed, adding that the anti-Turkey remarks made following the meeting in Cairo prove how rightful Ankara was in taking those steps with Libya.
On Wednesday, after the meeting in Cairo, Greece, Egypt, France and Cyprus declared Turkey’s deal with Libya “null and void.” Italy, on the other hand, despite attending the meeting, refused to sign this declaration.
KEY ACTORS
MFA (Turkey)
>> Ankara ready cooperate with all regional countries, except CG side.
>> Claims of Greece, France, Cyprus & Egypt are based on unrealistic arguments.
>> Turkey’s MoU with Libya completely lawful & legitimate.
>> Memorandum in response to countries ignoring rights of TCs’ & Turkey in the East Med.
>> Anti-Turkey remarks in Cairo prove how rightful Ankara was in taking steps with Libya.
Töre slams GC side’s offer to host US troops
Kıbrıs Postası, Diyalog
External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Cypriot parliament Zorlu Töre on Thursday said that the offer by South Cyprus to host US troops in Cyprus was unacceptable.
In a written statement, Töre argued that such a move would be a violation of the Republic of Cyprus’ Treaty of Establishment as well as inappropriate in terms of international relations.
“While US anti-sentiment in the region is growing, allowing US troops to be stationed in Cyprus does not serve peace. The US which is responsible for tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Eurasia, terrorist activities, assassinations and civil wars continues to violate basic human rights despite being one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council,” he said.
“We must unite against those who come to our region from the other end of the world to create instability,” he said.