TCC Press Review 11 Jan 2020

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

“I’m scared. Who is going to protect me?”

A woman who was subjected to torture by her boyfriend who refused to break up with her spoke to Yenidüzen. The woman who was tortured in Ozanköy (Kazafani) by her boyfriend for three hours lost sight of her left eye. She was outraged to hear that the man had been released by the court.

  • They discussed the economy (PM Tatar, FM Özersay and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Istanbul)
  • Water pipeline burst – Experts speaking to Turkish media T24 said repair of the pipeline carrying water to the north was difficult and that they did not have the necessary equipment to carry out the repairs. Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Dursun Oğuz said, “We have 10 months of reserves. We will not experience any water shortages.”

Kıbrıs Postası

They went there sad but returned happily

PM Ersin Tatar and his deputy Kudret Özersay returned from Istanbul following nearly a two-hour-long meeting, pleased. The government has been suffering from a serious shortage of funds. Tatar said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered the release of ₺170m funds in assistance.

  • Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) opens its branch office at the TC Chamber of Industry  

Kıbrıs

We have enough water to last the country for ten months

The water pipeline carrying water from Turkey to the north burst. Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Dursun Oğuz, in his comments to Kıbrıs, said there was no need to panic adding that there were enough water reserves.

  • ₺170m funds to be released – PM Tatar, FM Özersay and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Istanbul to discuss the Turkish Cypriot economy.

Havadis

Erdoğan gets involved

The fact that both Tatar and Özersay were summoned to a meeting with Erdoğan immediately after Özersay announced his presidential candidacy caught the attention of political circles.

  • First burst in the project of the century – The underwater pipeline carrying water from Turkey to the TRNC burst due to unknown reasons. The pipe suspended 250 metres under the surface of the sea is expected to take months to repair.

Diyalog

What else could one ask for

(Turkish) President Erdoğan wished Tatar and Özersay good luck. He instructed for the release of ₺170m in funds and lent his private jet for their return.

  • 10 months of water supply – Pipeline carrying water from Turkey to Cyprus burst. The flow has stopped.

Afrika

Pipe bursts

The underwater pipeline carrying fresh water from Turkey to the TRNC burst. The pipe suspended 250 metres under the surface of the sea is expected to take two months to repair. However, some experts say that it’s not possible to start repairs before six to seven months.

  • Özersay’s candidacy on a billboard at Istanbul Airport – The meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay in Istanbul lasted for an hour and a half. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu were also present at the meeting.

Main News

UNSG recommends extension of UNFICYP’s mandate

Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended the extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for six more months, until July 31 2020, reiterating his commitment to exploring the possibility of convening an informal five-party meeting with the island’s leaders and the guarantor powers.

“In this regard, I again urge the leaders, the guarantor powers, and other interested parties to make productive use of the coming period,” Guterres said in his report on UNFICYP, an unofficial copy of which was handed over on Thursday evening to UN Security Council (UNSC) members.

The UNSC will be briefed by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar on January 20, while the adoption of the resolution has been scheduled for January 30.

Guterres said in his report that “during the period under review, UNFICYP continued to play a crucial role in monitoring, engagement and liaison in response to violations and low-level tensions. Its continued presence remains essential to the creation of conditions conducive to a political settlement. In recognition of the continued contribution by Unficyp to the maintenance of peace and stability, I recommend that the Security Council extend the mission’s mandate until 31 July 2020,” he added.

Guterres said the absence of solution on the island and the current situation on the island was unsustainable.

“The lack of negotiations since July 2017 does not mean that the situation on the island remains unchanged, both at the political level and in the buffer zone,” he added.

The UN chief said that “as highlighted in the framework of my Action for Peacekeeping initiative, there is a direct link between the mandates of peacekeeping and good offices missions, where on the one hand the prevention of an escalation of tensions on the ground contributes to conditions conducive to advancing political solutions to conflicts, and on the other hand, progress toward a political agreement can contribute to a calmer and more stable situation. In the case of Cyprus, I note that since the closing of the Conference on Cyprus in Crans-Montana, over time, tensions on the ground have progressively increased.”

Referring to his meeting with the two leaders on November 25 in Berlin, he noted that following their frank and focused discussions “I continue to hold out hope that a durable settlement to the Cyprus problem can be achieved. I welcome the leaders’ commitment and determination to achieve a settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 716 (1991).”

“As acknowledged in Berlin, this time must be different. I reiterate my commitment to exploring with the Turkish Cypriot leader and the Greek Cypriot leader and with the guarantor powers the possibility to convene an informal five-plus-UN meeting at an appropriate stage. In this regard, I again urge the leaders, the guarantor powers and other interested parties to make productive use of the coming period,” he added.

Guterres said that he continued to monitor developments relating to hydrocarbons closely and with concern.

“I have repeatedly stressed that the natural resources found in and around Cyprus should benefit both communities and constitute a strong incentive for all parties to find a mutually acceptable and durable solution to the Cyprus problem,” he stressed

He also referred to the Confidence Building Measures, noting that while some concrete achievements on the implementation of previously agreed CBMs were made this past year and the sides put forward proposals and ideas about possible new measures, discussions and progress on these would need to be further pursued.

“It is important that the sides continue to demonstrate their goodwill and make greater efforts to create conditions conducive to a successful process, renew hopes for a settlement and build a path towards sustainable peace. UNFICYP and my good offices’ mission on Cyprus will continue to be available to support the sides in this respect,” he added.

Guterres also noted that “in their efforts to promote closer cooperation between the communities, local non-governmental actors and those who support them continue to be confronted with challenges and obstacles linked to the status of the north and concerns relating to `recognition`”.

The UNSG also said that during the reporting period, the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) gained increased attention “due to public statements made by the Turkish Cypriot side and high-level visits organized to the closed-off area by authorities in the north.”

KEY ACTORS
Guterres (UN)
>> The two leaders, the guarantor powers & other interested parties should make productive use of the coming period.
>> UNFICYP continues to play a crucial role in monitoring, engagement & liaison in response to violations and low-level tensions.
>> UNFICYP’s continued presence remains essential to the creation of conditions conducive to a political settlement.
>> The lack of negotiations since July 2017 doesn’t mean the situation on the island remains unchanged, both at the political level & in the buffer zone.
>> There is a direct link between the mandates of peacekeeping & good offices missions.
>> Prevention of an escalation of tensions on the ground contributes to conditions conducive to advancing political solutions to conflicts & and progress toward a political agreement can contribute to a calmer & more stable situation.
>> Since the Conference on Cyprus tensions on the ground have progressively increased over time.
>> New talks must be different. I remain committed to exploring with the two leaders & h the guarantor powers the possibility to convene an informal five-plus-UN meeting at an appropriate stage.
>> Natural resources in & around Cyprus should benefit both communities & be a strong incentive for all parties to find a mutually acceptable & durable solution to the Cyprob.
>> UNFICYP and good offices mission in Cyprus will continue to be available to support the sides.


Water pipeline to north bursts

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Economy

OVERVIEW

The underwater pipeline carrying fresh water from Turkey to the north of the island has burst and could take two months to repair, it emerged on Friday.

Turkish Cypriot officials, following reports in the Turkish press, confirmed on Friday that the pipe, located some 250 metres under the surface of the sea, had burst.

They assured that the north had enough water for 10 months.

Turkish media reported that the damage was about eight kilometres from the Turkish coast,

Part of the pipe has surfaced, and freshwater ended up in the sea, the reports said.

According to Yenidüzen, experts speaking to Turkish media T24 claimed that the process of repairing the pipeline was difficult and that was worse was that Turkey’s Department of Water Works did not have the necessary equipment to carry out the repairs. 

The pipeline dubbed the ‘project of the century’, was inaugurated in 2015 by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

It was the first pipeline between the mainland and an island in the world and was designed to address chronic water shortages suffered by the north although critics suggested it increased dependence on Turkey.

The 80-kilometre pipeline cost 1.6 billion TL and was developed to transport water from Alakoprü Dam in Mersin.

It started in 2011 when the dam’s construction started.

Engineers used a special technique to install the conduit since the pressure level at the bottom of the sea made it impossible to transport water via pipelines.


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