TCC Press Review 2 Apr 2020

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

The pain of homesickness

News of the deaths of Turkish Cypriots in the UK due to coronavirus shakes Cyprus. One bad news followed the other. 25 Turkish Cypriots have lost their lives, causing alarm amongst the Turkish Cypriot community in the UK.

  • Street curfew in Cyprus. 107 arrested in a day – Police caught 36 people flouting the partial curfew and 71 defying the night-time street curfew. A total of 107 people were booked.
  • Tests on the first group of students came back negative – While 207 students staying at the Malpas Hotel under quarantine tested negative following rapid testing, 11 of them underwent PCR tests. No positive results came back from any of the tests.
  • Seven cases in the north, one death. 58 cases in the south, one death.

Kıbrıs Postası

Ceased print/Online only

Kıbrıs

Producers heading to chaos

As a result of the extraordinary situation in the north, like many other sectors, the vegetable farmers are in difficulty. Kemal Bayur, one of the biggest producers, said he will have to feed his unpicked vegetable crop to his cattle. Artichoke producers also note the demand for artichokes dropped by 80 per cent.

  • Tighter measures – Longer queues are forming in front of supermarkets after a new rule to only admit a certain number of customers at a time. Workers standing at the doors admit customers in one by one after taking their temperature and asking every customer to wear surgical gloves and a mask. The cashiers use the one-metre rule for those waiting to pay in line for their shopping.
  • Three million litres of milk to be processed in Turkey – Prime Minister Ersin Tatar announced that the problem of marketing the daily output of 100,000 litres and monthly three million litres of raw milk has been solved with the help of Turkey. Raw milk will be sent to Turkey to be processed and used in making cheese.
  • Customs officers who did not want to be infected held a protest – Customs officers at the Famagusta Port refused to unload a freight ship, which wanted to dock at the port without completing its mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Havadis

Ceased print/Online only

Diyalog

All we needed was this

Workers at the Famagusta Port refused to unload cargo from two ships on grounds that their health was a risk. The ship’s cargo included medical equipment, supplies and 21 soldiers. The workers staged a protest for several hours. The Ministry of Public Works and Communication and Finance Ministry held a meeting with GÜÇ-SEN (Port Workers’ Union). The head of the union Derviş Dağman said the strike was not about pay cuts but the lack of protective gear such as gloves and masks. 

  • German tourist bids farewell – The number of cases in the north rose to seven, with total cases reaching 77. Loss of life went up to two.
  • Rise in cases alarming – The total number of cases in the south reached 320 with a sharp rise of 58 new cases. The number of dead rose to nine. 
  • Loss of life 277 – 2148 new cases in Turkey. The total number of cases reaches 15,679.
  • Better late than never – Prime Minister Ersin Tatar established the Covid-19 Coordination Committee and appointed Dr Sibel Siber as its head.
  • There are neither arrivals nor departures – Ferry services between Turkey and TRNC has been suspended.

Afrika

58 new cases in 24 hours

The increase in the coronavirus cases in the south heightened concerns. 58 cases were identified in the south in the last 24 hours with one dead. The total number of cases reached 320 and nine have died so far. 24 of the new cases were a result of contact with infected persons but the remaining 32 are all isolated cases. The other two cases are at the British bases. The army is being called in for support in the south, where the coronavirus cases are increasing at a fast pace.

  • Second death in the north – 83-year-old German tourist, who was receiving treatment at the north Nicosia hospital, passed away.
  • They will ask for ₺3bn from Turkey – Prime Minister Ersin Tatar and Finance Minister Olgun Amcaoğlu have made their calculations and decided to ask for ₺3bn from Turkey.
  • Less than 20 per cent – Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology expert Dr Nesil Bayraktar said “we now have more than 70 coronavirus cases but the percentage of those in contact with confirmed cases is below 20 per cent.

Main News

Second death, seven new cases in the north

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security

OVERVIEW

A second death and seven new confirmed cases were announced by authorities in the north on Wednesday.

This brings the total of confirmed cases to 77.

While three of the latest seven new cases reported in the Karpaz (Karpasia) area, one was reported in Alsancak (Karavas), two in Nicosia and one in Kyrenia.

Also on Wednesday, an 83-year-old woman from Germany who was in the hospital with coronavirus became the second person to have died in the north. 

The woman was among the group of German tourists placed in quarantine by Turkish Cypriot authorities after one of their co-travellers was tested positive to coronavirus earlier in March.

The 83-year-old was admitted to hospital on March 20 and in the intensive care unit four days later. She had underlying health conditions.

A 73-year-old man, also from Germany died last Saturday.

Turkish Cypriot Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay announced on Wednesday that they were in contact with German officials as regards the bodies of the two persons who died expressing hope that there would be no setbacks and that they would be sent back to their country to be buried. 

Their bodies were expected to be sent back on Wednesday evening along with 28 German tourists who were diagnosed with Covid-19 and were discharged after their treatment.

Özersay said that in total 32 German tourists were treated in the north for coronavirus including the two persons who died.

“Every life, every person regardless of religion, language, colour or origin, is valuable,” Özersay said also extending his condolences to the families of the deceased and the German people.

“I trust that we have done all that a civilized society should do, despite these extraordinary circumstances, based on universal values developed over the years by the international community. By continuing to work hard in line with this understanding, we will succeed in overcoming this common crisis of all mankind,” he added.

Elsewhere in the north, a supermarket in Nicosia and two in Kyrenia have been temporarily closed down after it emerged during checks they were not following the health measures announced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Also on Wednesday, all 218 students who were kept in isolation at the Malpas Hotel in Kyrenia were sent home to remain in isolation for an additional seven days.

While 207 of the students were cleared to go after testing earlier in the day, 11 others were given PCR tests.

All came back negative, the health authorities announced on Wednesday evening. 

Meanwhile, the repatriation of Turkish Cypriots stranded in Turkey continued on Wednesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, 128 Turkish Cypriots arrived in the north on a chartered flight from Istanbul. 

Another flight is expected to arrive on Saturday from Ankara.

It was also announced on Wednesday that all ferry services between Turkey and the north would be suspended until further notice due to low demand.

Dailies reported that ferry services were arriving and departing empty due to the pandemic.

Also on Tuesday, the Covid-19 Coordination Committee formed under Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar’s office convened for its first meeting.

The committee headed by Dr Sibel Siber, who had served as Turkish Cypriot parliamentary speaker, MP and presidential candidate in the last elections, met to further strengthen efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The committee is made up of representatives of medical associations, the head of the state hospital in Nicosia Dr Adil Özyılkan and other medical experts.

Wednesday’s meeting was presided by Tatar and Health Minister Ali Pilli.

A second meeting will be held on Thursday at 3 pm.


Economic woes grow amid looming uncertainty over coronavirus pandemic

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

OVERVIEW

“We are working towards ending the coronavirus pandemic by the end of April,” Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel said on Wednesday.

Üstel, speaking to Bayrak, expressed the belief that some of the shops will reopen after April 10 and the tourism season will commence as of June 1.

“Our priority is health. We have to eradicate the virus first and then start turning the wheels of the economy. We are planning on launching the tourism season from June onwards focusing on the domestic market only,” Üstel noted.

He added the north will not accept tourists from Turkey or Europe until the coronavirus pandemic is completely over.

“The government failed to announce a serious economic relief package other than a few financial arrangements and adjustments,” Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı said on Wednesday.

In a written statement, Arıklı argued the economic relief package “is a haphazard plan announced without a comprehensive study.”

Arıklı also claimed that the cabinet had to readjust the economic package upon reactions from the business community.

“The measures on cheques and the low-interest loan scheme from the Development Bank do not correlate to the economic realities we live in,” Arıklı noted.

He added that many of the businesses will fail in fulfilling the eligibility criteria for applying for the loan.

Urging the cabinet to implement long-term economic measures, Arıklı noted that otherwise, the problems will mount like an avalanche crushing the government. 

“It is understood that the government will try to overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic with minor measures while keeping the people locked in and shops closed,” Arıklı said, urging parliament to convene immediately to take on the responsibility.

In another development, customs workers at the Famagusta port, reacted strongly to pressure to unload a cargo ship that arrived from the UK through Spain a day before the obligatory 14-day quarantine expired for the vessel and crew.

The head of the GÜÇ-SEN (TC Port Workers’ Union) Derviş Dağman said they would unload the ship’s cargo on Thursday when the quarantine ends.

The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) on Wednesday said the government must find funding elsewhere to turn the wheels of the economy on Wednesday.

Speaking during a programme on Kıbrıs TV, Avunduk argued there are internal dynamics but not adequate to kick-start the economy.

“The shops are all closed. No one knows when they will open again. There are so many unfinished constructions, which will require workers currently abroad to return to the north to be finished. There are too many unknowns!” Avunduk said.

He added that the KTSO has submitted its set of proposals on the economy to the authorities on 16 March.

“We, as the Chamber, believe we need foreign funding and equitable sharing of the local resources so as for everyone to stay afloat in this crisis,” Avunduk concluded.

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman clarified the ongoing legal arguments on declaring state-of-emergency and whether there is a need for it.

“The authority is transferred to the relevant minister and the council of ministers should a state-of-emergency is declared quoting economic reasons,” Erhürman said, arguing that contrary to claims, the president will not have unquestioned or total authority over the state.

“The president is only responsible in chairing the cabinet to declare the state of emergency and secondly to chair the meetings in which governmental decrees will be adopted,” Erhürman noted.

He said in the case of state-of-emergency, the cabinet and the relevant minister will have unlimited authority.

Erhürman also rejected the arguments for the need to declare a state-of-emergency to implement a full curfew in the north and pointed to the measure implemented in the 15 villages in Karpaz (Karpasia) as an example.

“The concepts of state-of-emergency should not be confused with the adoption of a curfew,” Erhürman warned and urged the people “to know what they are talking about and the consequences of what they want.”


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