Front Page Headlines
It kept standing despite shortages
Karpaz (Karpasia) did not surrender to coronavirus. Yenierenköy (Yialousa) Mayor Emrah Yeşilırmark: “It will be possible to say that the Karpaz (Karpasia) area has brought the Covid-19 outbreak under control if we don’t any new cases this week.” “Everyone helped us, everyone except the state. The state even cut the water supply at this time. We were not provided with protective clothing or gear. The three patients from Yenierenköy (Yialousa) are doing fine. The one patient from Sipahi (Agias Trias) was discharged. The Mayor of Dipkarpaz (Rizokarpaso) Suphi Çoşkun: “Five of seven patients who tested positive for Covid-19 were discharged and they have returned to the village. We were told that doctors would arrive and that the elderly Greek Cypriot population at the village would be tested.”
- Lapta’s (Lapithos) first positive case discharged – Ahmet Gülerman, the first individual from Lapta (Lapithos) to have tested positive for Covid-19 shared his experience on social media. He thanked the doctors and the nurses for their efforts. “There is nothing to be ashamed of for being sick,” he said.
- Students test negative. They are being united with their families today.
- Covid-19 cases in Cyprus show a falling trend – 323 tests one positive case in the north. 19 new cases, one infant recorded in the south. It’s been observed over the past few days that the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is on a downward trend.
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Strawberries could go to waste
Every year, this time around, people would flock to the Lefke (Lefka) area to pick strawberries from the fields. However, as a result of the coronavirus measures, those strawberries will remain unpicked in the fields this year. 1.5m strawberry plants were planted this past winter and producers were hopeful of a good harvest season due to the abundant rainfall. Unfortunately, due to the extraordinary situation in the north, the producers are now gravely concerned. The total loss of the producers is believed to be around ₺15m (€2.1m). One of the biggest strawberry producers in the region Atalay Canveren said, “There is not much the producers can do now. It seems all the strawberries will go to waste.”
- Some of the tourism taxes postponed by three months – Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel announced the economic relief package for the tourism sector. In this regard, lease agreements for tourism establishments and license renewal fees have been postponed for three months.
- Reducing bureaucratic obstacles on imports – The trade department made amendments to the regulation on the rules and procedures of imports and exports.
- Good news from Karpaz (Karpasia) – While the coronavirus outbreak continues to be a source of concern in the Karpaz (Karpasia) villages, five of the seven coronavirus patients from the area were discharged from hospital following their recovery. Tests carried out on 23 individuals from the region also came back negative.
- The total number of cases in the north reached 92.
- 19 new cases in the south including a baby.
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Nothing to worry about
Economy Minister Hasan Taçoy said there was three months’ worth of food and fuel stocks in the country. He denied false and speculative reports that shortages will be experienced as a result of the drop in the number of transport ships arriving from Turkey. He added that the electricity authority had enough fuel stocked up in its reserves to last until the end of May.
- Pandemic progresses on a horizontal trend – Only one new case was confirmed in the north yesterday (Monday).
- One of them is an infant – 19 new cases were recorded yesterday (Monday) in the south bringing the total number to 465.
- Loss of life 649 – 3,148 new cases in Turkey bringing the total number to 30,217.
- Brits come first place – 23,000 foreigners were issued Republic of Cyprus citizenship in the last ten years.
- Private hospitals in operation – Coronavirus measures in South Cyprus to continue until the end of April.
High-risk flights
Dr Özlem Gürkut, head of the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association, expressed concern regarding the two charter flights coming from the UK. “We restrict travel between districts but allow people to arrive from other countries,” Gürkut said. She said the risk of infection of everyone on board the planes was high. It is obvious that the authorities have also failed in maintaining successful quarantine conditions at facilities as well. “If we do not use the time we gained to improve the hospitals and the health services, the moment we go out of our homes, we will return to 10 March conditions,” Gürkut concluded.
- 322 tests in the north with only one positive case – The number of positive cases increased to 92. There are 1050 people in quarantine centres now. 718 tests were administered in the south. 19 new cases. The total number of cases reached 465.
- “Too soon to claim the virus is going away” – Greek Cypriot Health Minister said and warned the decrease in the number of cases does not mean the virus is going away.
- The curfew might be extended – The street curfew, which will end on 10 April, might be extended further.
Main News
Only one new case in the north, horizontal trend continues
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
One new case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the north on Monday, Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli announced at a press conference.
The latest case was detected in Lapta (Lapithos), bringing the total number of cases in the TRNC to 92.
Pilli, announcing the news, said that a total of 332 tests had been carried out on Monday.
A total of 3108 tests have been conducted to date and there are currently 47 patients receiving treatment, two of them in the ICU.
He added that the fact that the public, in general, was in compliance with the measures was preventing a spike in cases.
Pilli also announced that a new shipment of supplies which included 50,000 surgical masks, 3000 special masks and antiviral drugs were due to arrive from Turkey on Monday.
Late on Monday night, Pilli announced that students and individuals who had completed their 14-day mandatory quarantine in hotels in Alsancak (Karavas), Kyrenia, Famagusta and Nicosia would be sent home on Tuesday after all tests came back negative.
Students at the Riverside Hotel in Alsancak (Karavas) had been kept in quarantine for three more days after a few had tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the strict measures to stop the spread of coronavirus will most likely be extended to the end of April, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said on Monday.
Evaluating the latest situation to Kıbrıs Postası, Tatar said that necessary consultations would be continued with the health ministry, the Covid-19 Coordination Board and Scientific Board but added it was too soon to claim the threat of the virus has been removed completely.
“When the time comes and in consultation with the three boards, the cabinet will adopt the necessary decisions,” Tatar concluded.
Also speaking to Kıbrıs Postası on Monday, the head of the Covid-19 Coordination Board, Sibel Siber highlighted the importance of taking and implementing swift decisions at times of crisis.
“We have to overcome the state’s cumbersomeness as we do not have any luxury for delays,” she said.
Also on Monday, Turkish Cypriot Interior Minister Ayşegül Baybars rejected rumours that pardons were being issued for inmates.
She said parliament had the right to grant pardons whereas the cabinet was only discussing the possibility of releasing some inmates on probation.
Baybars, speaking on Bayrak, recalled a recent statement made by the head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Commission (OHCHR) regarding measures which could be implemented in crowded prisons.
“In this regard, we have decided to establish a monitoring centre. We have allowed prisoners who have served one-third of their sentence to be eligible to be released on probation,” Baybars said.
“The new measure like in the past excludes convicts serving time for murder or attempted murder,” Baybars stressed.
She added, “rapists or prisoners serving time for sexual assault still have to serve at least half of their sentence term to be eligible.”
Turkish Cypriot Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu on Monday said the ministry had identified 2200 students in need of assistance.
Speaking to Diyalog TV, Çavuşoğlu said the ministry, working together with the universities were delivering the much-needed assistance.
Çavuşoğlu also noted that the education ministry will be launching a hotline for foreign university students in the north.
Authorities in the Karpaz (Karpasia) area which has been in full lock-down for the past two weeks said on Monday they were hopeful about the developments.
Mayor of Dipkarpaz (Rizokarpaso) Suphi Çoşkun said that five of seven individuals from the village who had tested positive had recovered and returned to their homes.
Speaking to Ada TV, Çoşkun expressed the view that the area would win the fight against coronavirus in two weeks.
Çoşkun thanked the nurses and doctors for their efforts.
He also said that the state would be sending doctors to the area and that the elderly Greek Cypriot inhabitants of the village would be tested.
“Our attempts are to get 60 per cent of the villagers tested. Anyway, only three families in the area had tested positive for the virus,” he added.
Çoşkun also said that the village imam and priest were working together, making announcements from the mosque and church when necessary.
“Our crisis desk is operating well. We did what was told and we have been trying to help everyone,” he added.
Speaking to Genç TV on Monday, Mayor of Yenierenköy (Yialousa) Emrah Yeşilırmak said the situation in the areas was under control.
“I believe that we will have won the fight against Covid-19 if we don’t see any new cases within a week,” he said.
Yeşilırmak said the biggest problem locals faced under the full lock-down was related to banking and money.
He said no one was able to withdraw any money forcing the municipality to provide everyone in the area with food assistance.
Yeşilırmak complained that the authorities in Nicosia had failed to provide the area with the necessary supplies and assistance.
“They even cut off the water supply to the area. No fuel support was provided. To make matters worse they slashed 25 per cent of the contribution made to the municipalities. But we are standing. We are working strenuously to ensure that the public gets what it needs,” he said.
He also thanked business persons for their donations and assistance to the area.
“We received no support from the authorities. The North Cyprus Red Crescent Association is collecting serious donations but where are they? Around 700 families are without income at the moment,” Yeşilırmak complained.
In another development, Turkish and Greek Cypriot students in the United Kingdom (UK) have posted messages in Turkish and Greek urging Cypriots to remain at their homes.
Gathered under the organisation of “Bicommunal Network of Cyprus Students UK (BNCyS UK)”, they announced the release of the video in a statement issued on Monday.
The video also asks for a social media challenge among the viewers and asks them to invite their friends by speaking in the language of the other community. The challenge is circulated on social media with the #Ispeakyourlanguage hashtag.
“BNCyS has created the challenge ‘Speak to the language of the other community’ to illustrate cooperation between the two communities of Cyprus during these difficult times. Our message to the people of Cyprus is to ‘Be safe and stay in your home.’ This is the only way we can reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2,” the statement read.
The BNCyS UK aims to provide a hub for Cypriot students to meet, collaborate, and promote their common identity, culture, and traditions.
Given the division and the various barriers that Cypriot students face at home, BNCyS UK’s goal is to foster understanding and communication between students from both communities and show unity and hope for the future of Cyprus.
Tourism measures focus on deferrals but nothing substantive
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
“Our goal is to be able to grant some breathing space to the tourism sector with the economic measures adopted specific to the sector,” Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel said on Monday.
In a written statement, Üstel noted that the north’s locomotive sector tourism like everywhere else in the world had been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
He announced that economic measures adopted for the sector.
Üstel said a payment deferral for three months has been introduced to renew travel agency licenses. The docking fees for yachts used for touristic purposes and other operation license fees for shops and the restaurants in Kyrenia’s old harbour have also been postponed for three months.
Furthermore, it has been decided to postpone all lease agreements for tourism facilities for three months including rental deferrals to already leased plots, shops, buildings and/or other types of immovable properties.
“We strongly believe together with the sector representatives will overcome the difficult times in solidarity,” Üstel concluded.
On the other hand, businessman and son of Serdar Denktaş, Rauf Denktaş pointed out that the tourism sector generated economic activity and employment for fifty other sub-sectors in the north.
In a statement on his proposals to revive the tourism sector, Denktaş highlighted that tourism was a major contributor to the Gross National Product (GNP) and was the main source of foreign currency for the country.
Denktaş listed his recommendations for the tourism sector and urged the tourism authorities to broaden the scope of the tourism incentive schemes in order to strengthen the Turkish Cypriot tour operators’ hands in negotiations and to launch a broad scale advertising campaign in Turkey to draw tourists from there from May onwards.
Finally, Denktaş urged the tourism authorities to speak with airline companies to offer more affordable prices for flights to the north.
In another development, Hüseyin Çavuş Kelle, head of the Turkish Cypriot Farmers’ Association urged for the business people and associations to purchase the fresh produce in the fields from the farmers to distribute to the people in need.
Speaking to Kıbrıs Postası on Monday, Kelle said the cabinet had excluded farmers out of its economic relief package even though they had been hit by the economic crisis due to the shutting down of hotels and the departure of university students.
“Despite all, we urge the farmers to continue their farming activities,” Kelle underlined.
He noted that the Agriculture minister has told them there will be additional relief packages that will include farmers as well.
Kelle said while the fresh vegetables remain unpicked in the fields, the dry-farming harvest season will arrive in May.
“It will be a major problem for the farmers when they could not service their combine harvesters nor could bring the spare parts or mechanics from Turkey,” Kelle noted.
Coronavirus pandemic hurts energy prospects in the East Med.
Kıbrıs Postası
Energy, Regional/International Matters
OVERVIEW
“The coronavirus pandemic eradicated the economic feasibility of the energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Prof Dr Gürkan Kumbaroğlu, head of the Turkish Energy Economy Association said on Monday.
He argued that international energy companies will likely lose interest in the energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean due to the current prices of natural gas and petrol.
“Therefore, foreign companies will gradually withdraw from the region. There will be no one left operating within the Greek Cypriot side’s blocks,” Kumbaroğlu claimed.
He argued eventually the region will recover but not to its former state.
Kumbaroğlu said: “It will be a huge risk for the international companies to invest in the region. For example, the EastMed project will not even come back to the agenda and the European Union (EU) member states that once supported the project, will also take their support back.”
Asked about his expectations for the region after the crisis, Kumbaroğlu said it will be different.
“It is possible to expect a more peaceful period in the Eastern Meditteranean,” Kumbaroğlu concluded.