Front Page Headlines
“I don’t even think they came to inspect the investment area”
Lapta (Lapithos) Mayor Mustafa Aktuğ spoke to Yenidüzen following claims that the scandal-linked group who had arrived from Turkey with special permission but were not quarantined were to conduct inspections on the Lapta (Lapithos) Marina Project. He was shocked when he heard Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel say that the individuals had been invited by his municipality and had carried out inspections at the site where the marina will be constructed wearing special clothes. “Under no circumstances did we invite anyone. I don’t even think they even visited the Lapta (Lapithos) investment area. I do not know any work being carried out in the area,” he said.
- Prime Ministry Covid-19 Coordination Council breaks up! “The government is unable to explain or provide reasons for many of the decisions it has taken”
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Coalition partners in difficulty
The crisis caused by the group that entered the north without complying with the quarantine requirement was the main agenda item during the Council of Ministers meeting yesterday (Tuesday). According to information obtained by Kıbrıs, there were heated debates during the meeting. The People’s Party (HP) demanded Prime Minister Ersin Tatar to adopt a clear stance on the issue. The National Unity Party (UBP) on the other hand, remains divided in opinion. The coalition partners are going through difficult days. It emerged that the individuals who arrived in the north from Turkey with a private jet had come to gamble and had even gone jewellery shopping in Famagusta. Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel who was the target of criticism reportedly also went to Kudret Özersay’s office to explain the situation. The HP did not ask for Üstel’s resignation during the cabinet meeting but demanded Tatar to take appropriate measures.
- Third fatal car accident in three days – 65-year-old Mustafa İpek died in the traffic accident near the Gönyeli (Geunyeli) roundabout yesterday (Tuesday).
Let’s hope for the best; we will grow hemp
Prime Minister Ersin Tatar has reportedly given instructions for drafting of legislation that will legalise hemp cultivation in the north for medical use. The first meeting on the issue was held at the Prime Ministry Commission against drug addiction. Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu who heads the parliamentary sub-committee on legislation and political affairs, as well as representatives from the Bar Association, the prosecutor’s office, Health Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Police department, Trade department and Turkish Cypriot doctors’ association, attended the meeting.
- No one consulted them. They resigned – Dr Sibel Siber, head of the Prime Ministry Covid-19 Coordination Council together with Dr Mustafa Arabacıoğlu and Dr Ahmet Özant resigned from the council. Dr Siber announced their reasons for resignation.
- The latest situation: North 108 cases, four deaths; South 985 cases, 25 deaths; Turkey 181,298 cases, 4,842 deaths.
Paying it back will be difficult
₺5bn (€648m) of the ₺27bn (€3.5bn) in loans given out by the banks has gone to state or public institutions. Of the loans handed out by the banks, 18.7bn (€2.3bn) has been given to private entities. As of April 2020, the total amount of money owed to banks by individuals stands at 8.4bn (€1bn). It is not known how all this money will be paid back under the current economic crisis.
- New era at Police force – Ahmet Soyalan appointed as new Chief of Police.
Manavoğlu must stand trial
Police Commissioner Süleyman Manavoğlu, who stood by and watched as a mob attempted to murder us following orders from the embassy and the security command on January 22, 2018, is finally retiring as of July 1. Ahmet Soyalan has been appointed as his replacement. Manavoğlu will be remembered for the incident held under the watchful eye of the police. The incident reminds us of the former police commissioner Erdem Demirbağ, who had launched an espionage conspiracy against us claiming that he had received ‘orders from high places.’
- And now a yacht with a special permit – Upon reactions, Yenierenköy (Yialousa) Mayor Emrah Yeşilırmak made a statement noting the yacht had been permitted by the Turkish Cypriot health ministry and the crew on board had complied with quarantine conditions.
- Yet another statement on the special permission – Cyprus Deluxe Global Travel Ltd. Director, who had come to the north in a private jet with special permission, issued a statement.
- Two fatal traffic accidents in 24 hours – Fatal accidents started to hurt us once the curfew was lifted.
- An investigation launched for insulting Erdoğan – Turkish embassy filed a complaint with the police against Dr Ahmet Boran, who announced his candidacy for the upcoming elections. An investigation is launched to look into claims made by the embassy.
Main News
Covid-19 Coordination Council rocked by resignations
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Governance and Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The issue caused by a private jet that arrived in the north last Friday from Turkey whose passengers were not quarantined as is the rule continued to cause an uproar on Tuesday.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar’s scientific team resigned on Tuesday claiming the government did not consult them and has been keeping data from them to complete their study on the situation with the virus in the north.
Head of the team Dr Sibel Siber and its two members Dr Mustafa Arabacıoğlu and Ahmet Özant all resigned.
In a statement issued, Siber said the government has been keeping them in the dark for a long time.
Siber said in a letter: “Unfortunately, they failed to work cooperatively with us, as was our wish when we undertook this position.”
She added the ‘health ministry’ did not cooperate with them at all and the government has not requested to meet them for a while.
Decisions made by the ‘cabinet’ in the north are not based on scientific facts, Siber said.
She added that the scientific team nonetheless continued its meetings among its members and continued to present Tatar with recommendations.
“The Turkish Cypriot people have diligently abided with the rules in the past three months allowing the north to be successful in the efforts to contain the pandemic,” Siber said. Highlighting that the threat is not over yet, the people must continue to adhere to scientific recommendations and rules.
“The government, on the other hand, must hold the community’s health above all and must act in line with the scientific recommendations,” Siber stressed.
She recalled that one of the very first decisions adopted by the Council was to launch an epidemiological study to identify the current situation in the north, to measure the effectiveness of the health services and programmes and to produce data to create public health policies.
She concluded her letter by stating that she and the two other doctors will continue their work against all risks that threaten the public’s health.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Nicosia’s Turkish Municipality (LTB) Mehmet Harmancı also joined the on-going criticisms against the cabinet.
He urged the cabinet to resign regarding the scandalous decisions it had made over the past few days.
“The cabinet must resign immediately and must not occupy those seats even for a second longer,” Harmancı said on Tuesday.
In a social media post, Harmancı pointed out the scandalous development not only threatened the public’s health but was also heinous regarding the tendering process for a project in Lapta (Lapithos).
“While the winning firm has a deadline until June 26, the government invited the losing firm, to inspect the investment area. The very core of the recent developments in this issue. This operation is being carried out by the government. This is a blatant violation of laws and is scandalous,” Harmancı stressed.
He added that another aspect of the incident was the fact that the government had violated the procedures and rules on entry into the north putting the public at risk.
“The government must resign without delay and an interim government must be established until the elections because the so-called responses given by the cabinet members during yesterday’s (Monday) plenary failed to satisfy or convince the public,” Harmancı concluded.
Speaking to Yenidüzen on Wednesday, Lapta (Lapithos) Mayor Mustafa Aktuğ said he was shocked when he heard Turkish Cypriot Tourism Minister Ünal Üstel say that the individuals had been invited by the Lapta (Lapithos) municipality and had held inspections at the site where the marina will be constructed wearing special clothes.
“Under no circumstances did we invite anyone. I don’t even think they even visited the Lapta (Lapithos) investment area. I do not know any work being carried out in the area,” he said.
TC workers wishing to cross south must register for PCR tests
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The Turkish Cypriot Health Ministry on Tuesday called on the Turkish Cypriots working in the south to register with the ministry for the PCR tests until the end of the business day on June 18.
In a written statement, the health ministry also highlighted that those who will cross to the south to work will not be subjected to mandatory quarantine when returning.
The statement also noted that the schedule for tests will be arranged by the ministry based on the daily capacity of the laboratories.
Also on Tuesday, Turkish Cypriot Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay announced that Turkish Cypriot workers currently in the south will be allowed to cross over to the north as of June 20 for Father’s Day without the need to quarantine.
Özersay told the TAK news agency following Tuesday’s cabinet meeting said that a consensus had been reached to allow the workers to spend the day with their families.
“The workers will be allowed to cross to the north by presenting their PCR tests. The workers will be allowed to cross through the Metehan (Agios Dhometios) crossing point,” he added.
In another development, scheduled flights between the north and Turkey are set to resume next week.
Speaking during a programme on Bayrak, Turkish Cypriot minister for Public Works and Communication Tolga Atakan said the first flights will be to and from Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Antalya.
Flights to the north from Turkey will start on June 17 from Pegasus Airlines, and on June 20 from Turkish airlines.
Passengers will be quarantined for 14 days, the Minister for Public Works Tolga Atakan said.