Front Page Headlines
Criminal charges against misinformation
Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay: “We detected that some individuals who tested positive have been hiding information as to whom they have come into contact with. Others who have unintentionally or intentionally given us wrong information. We filed a criminal complaint.” Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman: “To get sick is nothing something to be ashamed of. To inform the authorities with whom you have come into contact is not only something which one should not be ashamed of but is also the biggest deed one can do for the community.”
- Mayor of Lapta (Lapithos) Aktuğ: “25 people who have come into contact are being placed in a quarantined hotel” – New cases in Lapta (Lapithos) and more testing.
- Four new cases in the north, 36 in the south and one death.
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Frightening picture
The Presidential Economic Advisory Council on Thursday announced its report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the TRNC and proposals on mitigating the negative impact of the crisis. According to the report, the situation is worse than it is believed. As a result of the economic crisis, 6300 people could be left jobless. 32,000 workers and their families are facing severe economic difficulties, the report highlights.
- 1500 tons of potato crops left unpicked in the fields – Even though abundant rainfall increased the yield, it also delayed the autumn harvest making it coincide with the spring harvest. On top of that, potato growers have no idea what they are going to do after everywhere closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ‘Robin Hood’ visits Nicosia’s walled city – A good Samaritan, who did not reveal his identity, closed all debts of regular customers at three supermarkets in Nicosia’s old town at a time when people are unable to work or earn money.
- Eight protective gowns for 100 workers – The customs workers at the Famagusta port resumed work wearing protective gowns, gloves and masks. GÜÇ-SEN (Turkish Cypriot Customs Officers’ Union) representatives in Famagusta said the protective gear given was not enough for the customs officers, who risk contracting coronavirus.
- In search of a market for artichoke in Turkey.
- Four new positive cases in the TRNC.
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We won’t allow it
Labour Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu who is working on new measures for unemployed public-sector employees reacted to reports that some businesses who were still operating were slashing salaries of minimum wage earners. He said that all 50,000 private-sector employees who were TRNC or Turkish citizens would be getting a state contribution of ₺1,500 (€207), irrelevant of which sector they worked in. He also said they will not allow businesses to slash salaries of minimum wage earners.
- 4055 people in isolation – The number of cases in the north rises to 81 with four new cases.
- Another loss of life – The number of cases in the south rose to 356 with 36 new cases.
- Death toll 356 – 2456 new cases in Turkey. The total figure rises to 18,757.
- 25 people booked – Greek Cypriot police raided the home of Indians giving a ‘corona’ party.
- The state looked after them –The Greek Cypriot Administration will be paying the April salaries of 300,000 people in the public and private sector.
32,000 families are starving
The Presidential Economic Advisory Council said the situation for small businesses is worse than it is initially thought. According to a report, 32,000 workers and their family members are in severe economic difficulty. Owners of some of the small businesses do not even have any money left to buy food. 6400 people might be left without a job and 25,600 people are not able to make ends meet!
- Making favours even in the days of corona – Serdar Denktaş: The government, to please a supporter, is purchasing 12 ambulances. Each one costs €43,000.
- Enough! – Dr Bülent Dızdarlı addresses those who defy the curfew.
- Two years of imprisonment – Kudret Özersay: We have filed complaints against those who have withheld or who gave wrong information on purpose regarding whom they have been in contact with.
- Laying off staff prohibited until 30 April – Labour and Social Security Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu said the government is adopting the measure.
Main News
Cases continue to rise, warning issued against withholding information
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Four new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the north on Thursday, bringing the total number to 81.
Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli, who announced the latest figures on Bayrak, said new cases were detected in Kyrenia, Famagusta, the Karpaz (Karpasia) area and Lapta (Lapithos).
Pilli said that 256 tests had been carried out on Thursday.
He also said that the conditions of the two patients in ICU were improving.
“The other 50 patients are responding well to treatment. The medicine from Turkey is being effective,” he said.
The Turkish Cypriot health minister added that there were currently up to 4000 people in home isolation or quarantined in facilities.
Pilli also announced that a pre-examination tent was being set up in front of the private Kolan hospital where patients arriving with symptoms of fever and coughs would be administered first before being admitted into the main hospital building.
Earlier in the day, the Mayor of Lapta (Lapithos) Murat Aktuğ told Bayrak that 25 individuals who had come into contact with a positive case had tested and place in isolation at a hotel in the area.
He had called on authorities to lock-down the town and declare the area a quarantine zone.
Mustafa Aktuğ complained that there were Covid-19 patients who refused to name or lied about whom they came into contact with.
He said that these individuals would face prosecution.
Aktuğ repeated his earlier demand for the town to be declared a quarantine zone.
“My request had been turned down by the authorities on the grounds there weren’t that many cases. However, we now see new cases which are endemic.
Commenting on the issue, Turkish Cypriot Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay on Thursday said that individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 but who refused to collaborate with health authorities would be punished.
In a warning posted on social media, Özersay said that withholding information or deliberately misleading health authorities was a crime under the infectious diseases law punishable with up to two years in prison.
Özersay said that the prosecutor’s office had taken legal action against several patients who were identified as withholding or providing false information to the authorities.
“No one has the right to endanger the public’s health, especially when our healthcare workers are fighting a battle against the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Özersay said that they had received the greenlight concerning charter flights from the UK to repatriate Turkish Cypriots stranded there.
He said the flights would take place on April 7 and 8, adding that details would be shared in the coming days.
In a statement earlier, Özersay said that flights would be only for Turkish Cypriots who resided permanently in the north.
In a similar development on Thursday, the Turkish embassy in the north announced that it was arranging a flight for Turkish citizens wishing to return to their country on Saturday, April 4.
A statement issued by the embassy reminded citizens that they will have to remain in quarantine for 14-days upon their arrival.
In the meantime, Ferry services between the north and Turkey resumed on Thursday.
The news, announced by Turkish Cypriot Minister for Public Works and Communication Tolga Atakan on social media came a day after Turkey announced it was suspending ferry services due to low demand.
In a post on social media, Atakan said that services would resume as of Thursday night with ferries departing from Mersin and Taşucu ports in Turkey.
He added the ferry companies would be announcing the new schedules.
Later on Thursday, Özersay clarified the announcement, reminding that the ferry services would only be for Turkish Cypriots wishing to enter the north.
TC cabinet continues to come under fire on the economy despite efforts
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot authorities on Thursday continued to take measures to minimize the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the north’s economy.
In an unexpected move, Turkish Cypriot Labour and Social Security Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu announced that the government was preparing to issue a decree prohibiting businesses in the private sector from laying off employees.
Speaking during a programme on Bayrak, Sucuoğlu said, “As a result of a radical decision taken by the ministry,” employers will not be allowed to furlough their personnel from March 15 to April 30.
He noted they had decided on the move after it was observed that businesses, which have remained closed since March 13, had started laying off employees to minimize the impact of the crisis.
Sucuoğlu said they were trying to find ways to protect the employees.
“Not only will employers not be allowed to lay-off their workers but the state will also give ₺1500 to each worker,” Sucuoğlu said.
He said the necessary legislative amendments were currently being drafted.
In the meantime, Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit criticized the government for “insisting on its erroneous decisions.”
Özyiğit said the government’s decision to slash 25 per cent of the state subsidies to the local administrations would be reflected as pay cuts to municipal workers.
Secondly, he pointed out that the government had not even deferred payments made by the state to Turkey for the water supplied through the pipeline.
The TDP leader pointed out that the government continued to deduct the water fees from the local administrations.
“As a result of the government’s approach, the municipalities, very soon, will not be able to deliver its services to the public,” Özyiğit argued.
He added that essential services personnel such as doctors, medical workers, police, prison wardens, customs officers and other civil servants working in emergency services all had their salaries cut.
Further criticism of the government came from the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans (KTEZO) which claimed that the economic measures adopted so far were far from meeting the public’s demands or expectations.
In a written statement, KTEZO argued the entire system of “socio-economic policies, which the chamber had been carrying out for decades, collapsed in just three weeks as none of the social security funds or the budget had the necessary resources.
The KTEZO added that despite the economic measures adopted, the issues of dud cheques, debts, social security premiums, rent payments remained unsolved.
“While the number of people in need of assistance increase grows by the day, workers, who have become unemployed, have yet to receive the support payment promised to them, the statement read.
KTEZO said that the economic picture looked dim in the light of the fact that the system had collapsed due to the unstainable status quo.
The Chamber also argued that the payment deferrals for three to six months or asking businesses to apply for bank loans were not effective remedies as there was no clear indication as to when the economy would recover.
“It is necessary to start from scratch instead of demanding the continuation of an unhealthy economic system,” KTEZO said.
In the meantime, Kemal Altuncuoğlu, head of the Turkish Cypriot Credit and Guarantee Cooperatives Central Union for Shopkeepers and Artisans said on Thursday that a bank-loan package for ₺3.5bn (€488m) in total with 4.5 per cent annual interest-rate was ready.
In a statement issued, Altuncuoğlu noted the loan scheme has been made available through the TESKOMB – Turkish Credit and Guarantee Cooperatives Central Union for Shopkeepers and Artisans, in Turkey.
The loan scheme is open to all sectors in the north and the eligible applicants can apply for loans between ₺25,000 (€3,500) and ₺500,000 (€70,000).
In the meantime, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council established under President Mustafa Akıncı’s office published a report on Thursday on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the north and proposals on mitigating the negative impact of the crisis.
The report highlighted the importance of SMEs for the Turkish Cypriot economy.
According to the report based on figures released by the KTEZO, there are currently 10,000 SMEs in the TRNC providing jobs for 40,000 people and nearly 80 per cent of the SMEs have been shut since 14 March to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The report points out that the pandemic has hit these establishments, which were ordered to close down as part of government measures to contain the virus, the hardest.
“32,000 workers have been made redundant for three weeks now, putting 128,000 people in total including the families of the workers in economic despair,” the report said.
The report, which also included the results of a research conducted with 150 retailers from different sectors, highlighted that “the situation was much worse than it looked,” and urged the authorities to deliver immediate and required assistance to them.
The results showed that the owners of 12 per cent of SMEs had depleted all their resources and did not have enough money to purchase food; 27 of per cent had just enough money left to last them for one more week.
The research also showed that 226 SME owners have enough money to last them for two more weeks and 30 retailers have savings to last them a month.
40 per cent of the business owners said they will go bankrupt in a month or two.
20 per cent of the retailers warned they could only hold on for two more weeks before facing the danger of not reopening again.
“As a result of the report findings, 6400 workers will be left jobless in a very short period.
The report said that the relief and support packages announced by the government may take time to come into effect.
Among the recommendations provided by the report is widening schemes announced by the government, raising the amount provided to these establishments in the form of subsidies and contributions, easing bureaucratic procedures for SMEs, expanding operations of municipalities and creating more support to needy families in terms of food and other essential supplies.
“It is of utmost importance for both economic and social policies that the SMEs, which make significant contributions to the Gross National Product and tax revenues, can survive the troubled times with the minimum amount of damage,” the report stressed.
It urged the authorities to take notice of their suffering for the future of the Turkish Cypriot economy.