Front Page Headlines
Unplanned education
While the average pharmacy to population ratio around the world is 1:3500 it is 1:1271 in our country. According to the Turkish Cypriot Pharmacists’ Association, there were only a handful of pharmacies between 2010 and 2014. 28 new pharmacies opened in 2016. As of 2020, the number of pharmacies has risen to 295. The number of pharmacists registered with the association is 389.
- Prof. Dr Ahmet Sözen: “It’s my conviction that tensions will be lowered through diplomatic channels”
You cannot access it if you wanted to but if you were to succeed you still wouldn’t see where you’re going
Kıbrıs Postası visits the Boğaziçi (Lapathos) village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the İskele (Trikomo) municipality. The village can neither be accessed with a proper road nor does it have any street lighting despite the fact that surrounding areas of settlement gloat about their tourism investments. The village mukhtar, Eniz Akşahin said the authorities have failed to keep their promises but are still thankful to the mayor of İskele (Trikomo) for the little done so far
- Pakdemirli: The pipe is not broken! – Turkish Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said he gave instructions for the disrupted freshwater pipeline from Turkey to be fixed within a month. He said the pipe had not burst but had most likely broken loose.
78 sheep died or killed in six farms
Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Dursun Oğuz said Dipkarpaz (Rizokarpasso) is still under quarantine due to an outbreak of “sheep pox disease.” He added 15,000 sheep will be vaccinated and the framers will continue to be informed of quarantine practices. The farmers will also be subsidised for their losses, the minister said.
- The sea-water in the pipes will be discharged – Turkish Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said he gave instructions for the disrupted freshwater pipeline from Turkey to be fixed within a month.
“I lost 64kg”
This week’s name for the miracle transformations series is Mehmet Adak, who decided to undergo surgery to lose 64 kilos. He is now 81kgs and as he describes it in his own words “free of his burden”.
- Yavuz will return following refuelling – Turkey’s second drillship, the Yavuz, has completed its second drilling operation and returned to Mersin.
- Pakdemirli: The pipe is not broken! – Turkish Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said the pipeline will be repaired within a month.
The right is divided into four
(Rebirth party leader) Arıklı who claimed Tatar had received the green light from Turkey said that his proposal for a joint candidate did not receive support.
- More than 5000 cases pending – Deadlines for application to the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) have been extended until December 21, 2021.
Is Tatar withdrawing from the race?
This has become the most frequently asked question following the critical meeting held in Istanbul between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay. It is believed that the presidential election in April was discussed during the face-to-face meeting between Erdoğan and Tatar which was held closed to the press. Erdoğan who is determined to get rid of Akıncı is seeking a strong candidate to support against him. It is claimed that Erdoğan does not want Tatar to run and for the UBP to support Özersay.
- 6657 applications filed with IPC – 6657 Greek Cypriots have applied to the IPC to date. 970 of these applications have been settled through agreement, 33 through court cases. Only two-thirds of the £300m agreed compensation has been paid.
- US fighter jets fly above Cyprus’ skies – Fighter jets belonging to the US Airforce flew over Cypriot airspace. Military activities in the area are intensifying.
- Pakdemirli: It will be repaired in a month –Turkish Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said he gave instructions for the disrupted freshwater pipeline from Turkey to be fixed within a month. He said the pipe had not burst but had most likely broken loose.
Main News
Pipeline not burst, just broken loose, says Turkish minister
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Economy
OVERVIEW
The pipeline carrying fresh water from Turkey to the north has not burst but only suffered a minor disruption, Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Saturday.
Pakdemirli told reporters in Turkey’s southern Mersin province that the pipeline hadn’t broken as reported by the press and that a section of the pipeline had broken loose.
He said the reason for the disruption has yet to be ascertained.
Noting that the incident took place on late Wednesday, Pakdemirli recalled that the north had water stocks for eight to 10 months.
“I gave instructions to resolve this issue in a month. There is currently no water problem in the TRNC,” he stressed.
Pakdemirli also inspected the water pipeline in the Anamur district of Mersin via helicopter.
Yavuz completes second drilling
Yenidüzen
Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s second drillship, the Yavuz, has completed its second drilling operation.
According to Yenidüzen, the ship has dropped anchor off Taşucu Port, in Mersin Province.
Yavuz was operating off the northwest of Cyprus at a location dubbed Güzelyurt-1 (Morphou).
The ship is set to resume drilling at a new location in the Eastern Mediterranean after a few weeks of resupply and repairs.
Right parties divided into four
Diyalog
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arılkı said on Saturday that his proposal to the National Unity Party (UBP) to nominate a joint candidate did not receive the support he had hoped for.
Speaking to Diyalog, Arıklı said that it seemed that UBP leader Ersin Tatar had received the green light from Ankara and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to run in the April presidential election.
“We heard that Mr Erdoğan wished Mr Tatar all the best in the elections. It seems he received the green light,” Arıklı added.
Arıklı claimed that Tatar will not receive enough votes from his party’s base as there were various circles within the UBP who were angry at him.
“I don’t believe those circles will be supporting him,” he said, adding that under the current circumstances the YDP will be nominating its own candidate.
Arıklı said that the YDP will be announcing its candidate right after the UBP announces its candidate on January 18.
He argued that the YDP had proposed to nominate a joint candidate in an effort to unite the right but that this had not worked.
Arıklı also expressed the view that both Tatar and Özersay, who announced his candidacy last Thursday prior to his visit to Istanbul, should resign from their current posts in government.