Front Page Headlines
This smells bad
Yenidüzen shocked the country with its headline. Those that arrived at Ercan (Tymbou) with a private jet and entered the country without having to enter quarantine left in a hurry. The public reacted sharply to the news of their arrival. Seven members of the group of nine who had arrived on a private jet belonging to ADA Air on Friday night left the country in a hurry yesterday (Sunday). Public Works Minister Atakan: “The Council of Ministers was misled.” Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman: “You are not giving the public a feeling of trust. You are trying to look as if you’re running the country but you’re incapable.”
Ceased Print/Online Only
Chaos over incentives
There is chaos in the north over state incentives, which are utilised as ‘force multipliers’ according to the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce’s (KTTO) report. The KKTO’s report for 2019-2020 put the spotlight on the state incentives. The report emphasized the current law on state incentives is far from being modern and adequate. Speaking during the presentation of the report, Dr Yenal Süreç said: “If the state provides incentives to everything, it will never be possible for the north to produce products with high export value.” He added the incentives should focus only on products with a high retail value in the foreign markets.
- Coming to an end in constitutional amendments – The constitutional amendment on raising the number of judges serving at the High Court and the retirement age will be discussed during today’s (Monday) plenary.
- Identifying standards for various occupations – Legislative work to identify the standards in various professions that do not require a university degree has commenced. Jale Refik Rogers, head of the parliamentary sub-committee working on the bill, said the goal is to finalize the bill by the end of the year.
Red alert
The stocks at the blood bank have been depleted. The blood bank is not able to meet with the demand from the Thalassemia patients as well as other patients in the emergency ward. There is also a sharp decrease in the number of blood donors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- “Our goal is to end the year with minimum losses” – Turkish Cypriot Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy evaluated the economic situation during and after the covid-19 pandemic.
- ‘Father’s Day’ demand from the Turkish Cypriots working in the south” – The Turkish Cypriots working in the south asked the cabinet to amend its decision for crossing from south to north and asked to change the date from 22 June to 21 June for the workers to spend ‘father’s day’ with their families.
- The latest situation: North 108 cases, four deaths; South 980 cases, 25 deaths; Turkey 176,677 cases, 4,792 deaths.
There is no one coming or going
In addition to the economic crisis, the fact that the crossing points been the North and South have not opened yet has hit shopkeepers in Yenikent, Gönyeli (Guenyeli) hard. Shopkeepers who spoke to Diyalog said they’ve lost all their Greek Cypriot customers as a result of the closure of the Metehan (Agios Dhometios) crossing point. They also pointed out that no tourists were arriving other and that it would be naive to expect business to pick up anytime soon under the current conditions. Many of the shops are experiencing difficulty paying rent.
- No hostility – Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodulides said that the opening of the crossing points had shown it had become evident that the two communities could live together in harmony.
- She’s waiting for October –Britain’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and the Americas Wendy Morton said that there will movement on the Cyprus Issue following the elections in the TRNC.
Are they here to gamble?
A scandal emerged following news of the arrival of a group of individuals in the north via a private plane and with special permission. The cabinet has been deceived! The coalition partners National Unity Party (UBP) and Peoples’ Party (HP) fell out over the incident. Turkish Cypriot Minister of Public Works and Communication Tolga Atakan refuted the claims that it was the cabinet which had granted the special permission for the group. “The council of ministers has been deceived,” Atakan stressed. The HP held Tourism and Environment Minister Ünal Üstel responsible and demanded he is removed from the cabinet. The HP says Üstel knowingly provided incorrect and deceitful information to the council of ministers. The tourism ministry confirmed the entry of the individuals into the north without being subject to mandatory quarantine rules. He said the individuals were experts working on the marina project in Lapta (Lapithos). However, the Mayor of Lapta (Lapithos), Mustafa Aktuğ said the contract for the marina project has not been signed yet and the individuals that arrived, therefore, cannot carry out technical work on the project. Aktuğ said a tender was launched for the marina project on January 6, 2020. “Kıbrıs (Cyprus) Arenco Investment Ltd.” won the tender. The winning company has time until June 26 to sign the contract. The second best bid had come from a company named ‘Cyprus Deluxe Global Travel Ltd.’ And the people that arrived without going through the quarantine process are representatives of that company.
Main News
The decision to resume flights from Turkey should be revised, says Akıncı & Erhürman
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
President Mustafa Akıncı and the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman on Sunday called on scientists in the north to speak up about the coronavirus situation in Turkey, which he said was even worrying health experts there.
Turkey has confirmed 176,677 cases and has seen 4,792 deaths from Covid-19.
The number of new coronavirus cases there rose to 1,459 on Saturday from 1,195 a day earlier, increasing after travel restrictions were lifted and facilities reopened at the start of the month
The daily number of cases had previously been below 1,000 since late May. In the 24 hours between Friday and Saturday, 14 people died, bringing total fatalities to 4,792.
In a written statement, Akıncı called on Turkish Cypriot health experts to express their views. “Are our scientists not worried about July 1?” he asked referring to the date that flights between Turkey and the north are due to resume.
“We are going through a period in which it is important and mandatory for health professionals to express their views publicly and strongly as we expect them to guide the politics [of the situation],” Akıncı added.
“Transport and communication with Turkey are undoubtedly crucial. However, we have a responsibility to protect the health of our people above all.”
Not only are flights to the north due to resume on July 1 but so are crossings for Greek Cypriots.
Some categories of Turkish Cypriots have been allowed to cross for almost a week now after a joint agreement between Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades on May 21 for the gradual reopening.
CTP leader Tufan Erhürman on Sunday went further, arguing that the government should change its decision to allow Turkish nationals from entering the north without having to quarantine.
Pointing to the surge in Covid-19 cases in Turkey, Erhürman said the current decision regarding the July 1 date will have to be changed if the situation continues to deteriorate in Turkey.
Erhürman’s remarks on social media came following reports by Yenidüzen on Sunday that nine individuals from Turkey which flew into Ercan (Tymbou) airport in the north a day earlier had entered the country without being placed quarantine.
A top official from the health ministry confirmed that the individuals had arrived but gave the assurance that the group would not come into contact with the local population and would be accommodated at a quarantine facility.
The tourism and environment ministry later explained through a post on social media that the individuals were a team of experts working on a marina project in Lapta (Lapithos) who were granted special permission by the cabinet.
Later on Sunday night, Public Works and Communication Minister Tolga Atakan said the flight permit had been given by the cabinet but that the details which emerged revealed that the Council of Ministers had been misinformed.
“It emerged that none of the details concerning the group, who the people were and for which reason they had arrived was as provided to the cabinet,” Atakan said.
The Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry issued a statement denying reports that the group had been allowed the group to arrive through the VIP entrance.
Yenidüzen reported late on Sunday that the group had departed to Antalya, Turkey with a private jet, a day earlier than planned.
It claimed that the early departure was a result of Yenidüzen’s reporting and the subsequent unveiling of a scandal.
Commenting on the issue, Erhürman said that this was not an issue to be taken lightly.
“The public has the right to know who and why these people are here and who permitted them. We shall be raising this issue in parliament on Monday,” he said.
The incident also sparked rumours on Sunday that the coalition is in trouble with Kıbrıs Postası claiming that the Peoples’ Party (HP) has demanded that Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar removes his tourism minister Ünal Üstel from the cabinet.
The HP claimed that Üstel had knowingly provided incorrect and deceitful information to the council of ministers.
Taçoy rules out new lockdown in event of second wave
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy on Sunday said his administration’s goal was to complete the year with minimum economic losses and to prevent a recession as much as possible.
Speaking to the Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK, Taçoy said it was possible for the north to regain its past momentum and to resume economic growth by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
This he added would be possible if negative developments in the global economy would not affect the north in magnifying scales.
Taçoy recalled that the government had taken swift measures as soon as the first case of coronavirus was detected in the north.
“We had to choose between the economy and the public’s health. Naturally, the cabinet decided to focus on health as a priority,” Taçoy noted.
He said the economy had come to a standstill when a majority of the businesses closed down as part of the lockdown.
Moreover, he pointed out the uncertainty caused by the pandemic was yet another aggravating factor for the cabinet in taking decisions on the economy.
Taçoy recalled that the government had adopted its 31-point economic relief package shortly after the lockdown.
“We are now focused on the second economic relief package for the coming months but mainly in preparation for the coming year,” Taçoy said.
He highlighted the second package will include measures for the private sector, towards increasing employment and projects that will ensure the multiplier effect of the funds allocated.
Taçoy said the cabinet will in the meantime resort to internal borrowing, a sum ranging from ₺330m (€43.4m) to ₺400m (€52.6m) to finalise the two hospital construction projects as well as to finalise other construction and investment projects.
Touching on the economic protocol agreement signed with Turkey, he pointed out that the agreement also brings together performance evaluation mechanism.
“It will become impossible to move on to the next project without completing the one at hand,” Taçoy said.
Asked to respond to a question on the possibility of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Taçoy ruled out the possibility of a new lockdown in the event a second wave hit the country.
“With the investments planned, if the second wave comes, the life in the north will continue as normal with the pandemic hospital,” Taçoy stressed.
Highlighting that the global developments on the coronavirus pandemic are being closely monitored by the authorities in the north, Taçoy said the cabinet is making every preparation to ensure that the public resumes its life as normal even in the event new cases emerge.
“It is vital that we protect ourselves. We have to be cautious at all times and adhere to the social distancing rule and the personal hygiene rules,” Taçoy concluded.