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53 people, 30 of them military personnel arrived. The Ministry of Public Works said the Health Ministry was in charge. The health ministry undersecretary told Yenidüzen, “We were not given any information about the officers and their families. We could not intervene.” The Minister of Public Works and Communication Tolga Atakan confirmed that army officers as part of their tour of duty had arrived but added that the coordination was being carried out by the Health Ministry.
- ‘We made a mess of opening up’ – (Photo of a queue in front of Vehicle Registry Department)
Ceased Print/Online only
This is torture
The Nicosia Vehicle Registry Department reopened on Wednesday nearly two months after. There was almost a stampede at the entrance! People, who queued up for hours, were outraged. Tempers flared among some of those waiting in line. The vehicle inspection office in the Industrial Area was not any different. The lined-up cars waiting for inspection caused a traffic jam at the entrance of the Industrial area. The traffic police were called to the scene to regulate the flow of the traffic. People waiting in line said “This is torture” and added the authorities should have taken more measures to enable smooth operation.
- Lyceum entry exam to be held on June 20 – The National Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu said the second leg of the Türk Maarif College (Lyceum) entry exam (KGS) will be held on June 20, the Bülent Ecevit Anadolu Lyceum (BEAL) and the 20 July Science Lyceum exams will be on July 4. He added the Anadolu Fine Arts School exams will be held on July 6-7.
Famagusta door remains cracked
Entry into the TRNC through seaports commenced on Monday as part of the partial lifting of restrictions. 120 people, who arrived on board the ‘Toros’, entered the north through Famagusta. It is reported 30 of the 120 were soldiers, to arrived to serve their tour of duty, 45 of them were family members and 30 of them were harvester-operators, and the remaining 15 were technical experts working on the canal project. There were strict security and health checks on the passengers after the ship docked at the port. 75 soldiers and their family members were taken to KYK dormitories in Güzelyurt by bus where they will spend the next 14 days under quarantine. According to information obtained by Havadis, the 15 technicians and 30 harvester operators were taken to the Malpas Hotel in Kyrenia and placed under quarantine.
- Foreign currency exchange rate hits new record – Turkish Lira continues to devalue against foreign currencies. One pound Sterling was valued at ₺8.83; one Euro at ₺7.75 and one US Dollar at ₺7.16.
- Conditional approval for food-delivery services – Restaurant, patisserie, café and kiosks will be able to start takeaway services on Monday, May 11 on the condition that their staff are tested.
- The latest situation: North 108 cases, four deaths; South 883 cases, 15 deaths; Turkey 131,744 cases, 3,584 deaths.
Major loss
Four municipalities lost ₺1m (€128,386) in monthly revenues due to the closure of the hotels. Diyalog learned that the nine hotels in Alsancak (Karavas) used to pay the municipality ₺250,000 (€32,000) each month in various forms of taxes. The Kyrenia municipality also received the same amount while hotels in Çatalköy (Agios Epiktitos) paid the municipality ₺416,000 (€53,453) monthly. The Nicosia Turkish Municipality received around ₺41,000 (€5,268).
- Never-ending torture – A long queue formed in front of the Vehicle Registry Department.
Five crossings are open
The Greek Cypriot spokesman Kyriacos Koushios, who touched upon the problems faced by the Turkish Cypriot workers employed in the south and the Turkish Cypriot students studying in the south, said, “There is no problem for the government because it is the other side which shut all the crossings. Five of our crossing points are still open.” He also added that should the Turkish Cypriot authorities allow the workers to cross to the south, the government will evaluate the situation and will implement the necessary health protocols. There is no date yet for the opening of all the crossing points. The reopening of the crossings will depend on the developments on the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Here they come – We had reported that 1,500 soldiers would arrive and now our newspaper has verified this report. According to some news sources, up to 1,000 people arrived from Turkey. Most of them are soldiers and are placed at student dormitories in Lefke (Lefka). Those who had high fevers were taken to the state hospital. Official sources reported that only 53 people had arrived through the Famagusta port on Wednesday. 30 of them were officers and family members, eight harvester operators and 15 personnel from the Turkish Waterworks Department (DSI).
- No new positive cases – 1335 tests were carried out. While the north continues on its path with zero cases, five new cases were identified in the south following 2062 tests.
- Look at the UBP… – National Unity Party (UBP) head of the Nicosia branch Sadık Gardiyanoğlu wants the law on “treason” to be amended.
Main News
North slowly gets into ‘unlock’ spirit, signs of public slacking
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
There was increased traffic, in the streets, long queues outside some banks and several public departments on Wednesday, the third day of the north’s gradual exit from the coronavirus lockdown.
A month and a half after closing, liveliness was restored on streets as more and more people were observed making use of the first relaxation of restrictions on movement to shop and to conduct errands. Retail businesses relaunched operations on Monday with an array of protective measures including gloves, masks and information signs on the new measures on floors and windows for customers to see.
Schools, entertainment venues, bars, cafes, cinemas, stadiums, wedding halls, picnic sites and children’s playgrounds, night clubs, betting offices, farmers and municipal markets and other public spaces remain closed.
Restaurants which offer takeaway or delivery services and which have met health ministry guidelines including the testing of staff will resume services on Monday, May 11.
Several public offices will work on a rotational basis until May 15.
Meanwhile, several dailies reported on Thursday that long queues had formed in front of the vehicle registry department and the vehicle inspection facility in Nicosia.
People waiting in line were observed not complying with physical distancing rules or wearing masks, which is legally mandatory.
Turkish Cypriot Public Works and Communication Minister Tolga Atakan later on Wednesday evening posted a statement on social media reassuring the public that necessary measures had been in place at the Vehicle Registry Department.
“The queue that formed was quickly eased following our intervention and steps were taken to make sure the same crowding did not take place for the rest of the day,” Atakan said.
He said the department had taken all measures in advance but ultimately it was up to the public to comply with the measures in place.
Atakan also reminded that many of the procedures could be carried out online.
“We’ve seen over ten thousand citizens paying their taxes and filling in applications online. We also have a call line for citizens who need support online,” he added.
Meanwhile, Wednesday marked the 19th consecutive day since no new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the north.
Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli announced on Wednesday that no new cases had been detected in 1355 tests carried out.
He said that majority of tests had been carried out on employees working in takeaway or delivery services of restaurants and fast-food joints which plan to open on Monday, May 11.
Seated restaurants, cafes and patisseries remain closed until further notice.
Pilli also said that 21 individuals had been referred to the general hospital in Nicosia to undergo PCR testing after their rapid tests came back positive.
He, however, added that 11 individuals who had PCR tests done on Monday and Tuesday for the same reason had tested negative for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar was upbeat on Wednesday stating that the worst was over.
He, however, warned the public against slacking and complacency.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is not something that we can take lightly. I believe that the worst is over but the danger is not over yet,” Tatar told reporters during a visit earlier in the day.
He highlighted the importance of continuing to adhere to social distancing measures, personnel hygiene and the rule of wearing masks when in public places.
“We were forced to fend ourselves against a threat which even the world is experiencing difficulty dealing with. We saw our share of cases but thankfully we were able to contain the virus before it spread to the general population,” Tatar said.
He added that unfortunately, the north would keep itself isolated until the virus subsided in Turkey, the south and the UK.
Tatar also said that time would determine when tourism, flights and other activities could resume.
“At the moment. we have started tentatively to open the various economic sectors. Let us wait and see what will happen,” he concluded.
In another development on Wednesday, 53 Turkish nationals, 30 Turkish army officers and their families, were allowed to enter the north through an exemption granted by the authorities.
Among the 53 Turkish nationals were eight combine harvester operators and mechanics and 15 expert workers from the Turkish Water Works Board, all of which arrived at the Famagusta port via boat.
The 23 individuals were placed under quarantine for 14 days at the Malpas Hotel in Kyrenia while the 30 officers and their families were placed in quarantine in a dormitory in Güzelyurt (Morphou).
Speaking to Yenidüzen, health ministry undersecretary Ali Çaygur said that the Turkish military had not given them any information.
Havadis and Afrika, on the other hand, reported different figures. Havadis reported that the figure was not 53 but 120 whilst Afrika claimed that the figure was 1000.
Neither paper was able to verify the figures nor did the authorities make any statements on the issue.
All dailies, however, reported that more troops and officers were expected to arrive from Turkey later this week.
In a related development, the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman slammed the exemption granted by the government to combine harvester operators.
In a post on social media, Erhürman said the jobs could have given to Turkish Cypriots who were unemployed or facing the threat of unemployment.
“We can’t ignore these abnormal developments carried out in the name of normalisation. Now is better a time than any to train our unemployed citizens and to create training programmes in areas needed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yenidüzen also reported on Thursday that there were dozens of UK expats, permanently residing in the north, who were unable to return to the island due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Director of Expats Consultancy Services, Havva Karabeyaz said on Wednesday they have been receiving numerous complaints from British expats who were unable to return to their homes in the north.
“Many of them were out of the country either visiting family elsewhere, on holiday or seeking medical treatment when the entry restrictions were first imposed on March 10. These people reside permanently in the north, some for longer than ten years,” she said.
Karabeyaz urged Turkish Cypriot authorities to find a solution for the expats.
A group of Iranian students studying in various universities in the north flew back to their country on Wednesday on a charter flight, Turkish Cypriot Public Works and Communication Minister Tolga Atakan announced on Wednesday.
He said the students had arranged the flight themselves.
“Will the Cyprus settlement remain quarantined?” asks OPEK & GLOPOL
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process, CBMs, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The Association of Social Reform (OPEK) and Global Policies Centre (GLOPOL) on Wednesday highlighted the need to seize the current opportunity in light of the start of normalization of daily life on both sides of the island, to create an environment to solve the Cyprus Problem and bring peace to the Eastern Mediterranean.
OPEK and GLOPOL, in a joint statement issued on Wednesday, stated that the coronavirus pandemic set new priorities for people in the world.
“We consider that the pandemic gives Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots a unique chance to prepare the ground for a solid common future, in terms of mutual benefit, cooperation, and solidarity, the statement read.
They added that solving the Cyprus Prom through a Bicommunal, Bizonal Federation (BBF) based on political equality as described in UN resolutions was the priority.
“End the myths and “alternatives” on natural gas that push us on a collision course. Who can now insist on such narratives and other practices that keep our island in quarantine for more than half of a century?” the organisations said.
OPEK and GLOPOL recalled the commitments of the two leaders to work towards resuming the United Nations (UN) talks last November in Berlin as well as the repeating to establish confidence and informing their citizens on the benefits of unification.
“The global health crisis has indeed affected almost every individual Cypriot in a negative way. While striving to cope with the difficulties, the leaders of the two communities will have to discuss also a roadmap for the reopening of the crossing points and set the appropriate timeframe,” the statement read.
The organization said the two leaders needed to work towards easing the difficulties caused by the closure that particularly affecting certain parts of the communities: physical contacts of Greek Cypriot and Maronite communities residing in the north with their families in the south, Turkish Cypriot employees to go back to their jobs in the south etc.
“The leaders must agree on sets of measures that will address these concerns,” the two organisations said.
Call made for urgent action plan for higher education sector
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
“An action plan regarding the higher education sector must urgently be prepared,” Mehmet Hasgüler, Deputy President of YÖDAK (Turkish Cypriot Higher Council for Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination) said on Wednesday.
Hasgüler, speaking on Genç TV, said a delegation from the north, should present a plan to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“If the problems of the higher education sector are not solved, the north will face severe economic problems,” Hasgüler argued.
He added the sector, along with tourism, was the most badly affected sector by the coronavirus crisis.
Hasgüler also drew attention to the contributions of the higher education sector to the north’s economy.
“A touch on the universities would help save the future of the Turkish Cypriots,” Hasgüler stressed.
He also noted the YÖDAK and the Turkish Cypriot education ministry were working on detailed measures in the best interest of the students.
Earlier on Tuesday Turkish Cypriot Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy said Turkey would be sending additional funds to the north soon.
“The funds will be released by the end of next week,” Taçoy told Genç TV but refrained from sharing the amount to be released.
He also added that the European Union (EU) will be giving €33m to the north until the end of the year.
In a separate development, Turkish Cypriot Labour Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu announced on Wednesday that nine thousand applications to the salary support scheme had been crossed out after it emerged they were not eligible.
Sucuoğlu said that they had also detected faked applications which they had handed over to the police to be investigated.
In an interview with Yenidüzen, he noted the ministry has checked every single application thoroughly and identified nearly nine thousand ineligible applications.
“These people have applied for the support payment even though their sectors were open. There are even some applications with fake names,” Sucuoğlu said.
He said that ₺13m (€1.7m) had been saved as a result of the diligence of his staff.
Sucuoğlu also said there were 55,000 eligible applicants
“25,000 of them were paid in the first three days. We made a payment of 30m (€4m) and another ₺75m (€10m) will be paid until the end of the week,” he concluded.
In another development, the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) urged the Turkish Cypriots working in the south to join forces with them to strengthen their struggle on Wednesday.
In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the KSP said “We salute your struggle. The KSP has always taken the side of the workers. Our sole weapon is our organised and joint struggle.”
The KSP also argued the problems faced by the Turkish Cypriots working in the south was the result of the non-solution of Cyprus problem.
“Even if we are not the creators of the Cyprus problem, we as the workers, and as the Cypriot communities, are suffering from its consequences,” the KSP concluded.
In a related development, it is reported the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) penned a letter addressed to Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday.
The PEO highlighted that the Turkish Cypriots are now faced with a serious problem with the launch of the reopening process in the south.
“It has become impossible for the Turkish Cypriots to return to their work due to the crossings being closed. As a result, not only the Turkish Cypriots are now faced with the risk of losing their jobs, the Greek Cypriot companies are also going to suffer economically for not being able to fulfil their requirements,” the PEO said.
The PEO asked Anastasiades to allow the Turkish Cypriots to cross to the south to return to their work on the condition that the public health rules are adhered to.
Domestic violence spikes due to lockdown measures
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
“Measures taken against the pandemic are inevitably producing conditions highly conducive to domestic abuse. Isolation, alongside health and economic problems that pile up, caused globally an upsurge of violence against women and girls,” the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Gender Equality said on Wednesday.
In a statement issued, the committee drew attention to the fact that “Cyprus is no different from the other places across the globe.”
Citing civil society sources, the domestic violence incidents across the divide has increased significantly.
“The incidents of domestic violence in the Greek Cypriot community increased by 58% since the lockdown… In the Turkish Cypriot community, the situation is even worse, as calls on helplines increased up to 10 times since the lockdown,” the statement stressed.
It stated that helpline was not enough to provide support to all the victims of domestic violence.
In light of the calls for social isolation as a measure of protection against Covid-19, the statement underlined the domestic violence survivors further subjected to social isolation.
“It is a powerful weapon used by abusers to perpetuate their cycles of violence by controlling and limiting the partner’s access to the outside, robbing them of support networks and reinforcing feelings of despair,” the statement stressed and added it should, therefore, be more alarming to see a decrease in the number of domestic violence cases dealt by the police.
The committee argued there were three factors which led to a drop in the number of calls to the police.
The domestic violence survivor is likely to be “stuck under the same roof” with the abuser, therefore, is not able to reach the police.
Secondly, there is the fear of uncertainty and feelings of helplessness are intensified, making the survivors more hesitant to seek support and protection and finally, even though the survivor reaches the police, the reports and/or complaints are disregarded as it is not the priority of the police force during the coronavirus pandemic.
Another prevailing factor that is valid throughout the island, is the deep-rooted patriarchy in Cyprus, the committee argued and added women are not empowered or encouraged by the society to take the matter into their hands.
“It is, thus, of utmost importance that the gendered impact of the pandemic as well as of the measures taken to combat it are recognized and addressed,” the statement concluded.