Front Page Headlines
No quarantine…double testing
The Council of Ministers revised its decision regarding July 1 arrivals. Turkey has been moved from category A to category B. Two PCR tests will be required from individuals arriving from Turkey. One will be conducted within the last 72 hours before arrival while a second PCR test will be carried out at entry points.
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Jealousy behind the murder
83-year-old Veysi Akdeniz’s murder was officially confirmed. The murder suspect 40-year-old Azat Nurmamedov admitted to killing Akdeniz. According to information obtained from sources, Nurmamedov, killed the victim with whom he believed his wife had an affair with. After killing the victim in his home, Nurmamedov took a photograph of the body and sent it to his wife with a note reading “I killed him.” His wife and a friend then sent the photograph to the police informing them of the murder.
- Double PCR test requirement for those coming from Turkey.
There is no end to it
303 people died in fatal traffic accidents in the north from 2010 to 2019. Nine people have died between January 1, 2020, and June 24 2020. Despite repeated warnings and mounting fatalities on the roads, people in the north do not seem to learn their lessons. According to police accident reports, speeding is the number one cause of accidents. However, the reports fail to mention the poor condition of roads or the fact that some roads are just built badly.
- Finally a reasonable agreement – An agreement has been reached regarding the children in Pile (Pyla). In line with the agreement reached with the British officials at the Sovereign Base Area (SBA), the children below 12 years of age will be tested today (Friday). Even though the British authorities insist on PCR certificates on everyone, the Turkish Cypriot authorities had decided not to test children up to 12 years of age. According to information obtained by Havadis from the Turkish Cypriot mukhtar of the mixed village Veysal Güden, there are about 60 children who will be tested on Friday.
- Day of protest for health – Health organisation and platform of trade unions will stage a demonstration today (Friday) to protest the government’s decision to allow arrivals from Turkey as of July 1 without the quarantine requirement.
- Signals of correcting its mistakes – Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay said there is consensus among the cabinet members to revise the July 1 decision.
- The latest situation: North 108 cases, four deaths; South 992 cases, 26 deaths; Turkey 193,115 cases, 5,046 deaths.
A decision was finally made
The government which introduced the need for two PCR tests for those arriving from Turkey has not changed the July 1 date. Turkey was moved from category A to category B. Arriving passengers will be required to have two PCR tests carried out, one before arriving and one upon arrival. Travel agencies have complained that the new requirement will be very expensive and an inconvenient process. “Nevertheless it is important that a step has been taken. We will need to abide by this rule for the time being,” the travel agencies have said. Turkish Airlines (THY) has three flights scheduled between Ercan and Istanbul, one flight each from Ankara and Adana on July 1. Pegasus airlines have four flights scheduled for the same day from Istanbul, Antalya and Adana.
- Surprise change –Two women have taken their place in Nicos Anastasiades’ new cabinet.
A step back has been taken but it’s not enough
The government’s latest decision has been to move Turkey from “Category A to B” despite warnings and concerns expressed by the entire community over the July 1 decision. In the statement issued following yesterday’s (Thursday) Council of Ministers meeting, those arriving from Turkey will now be subjected to double-PCR testing. Arriving passengers will have to present negative test results carried out within 72 hours before their arrival and a second test will be carried out upon arrival in the TRNC. It is a step back from the initial decision but its still not enough. Both the public works and communication and the health ministries have been authorised to regulate and limit the number of arrivals.
- 1 July decision is wrong – Mustafa Akıncı said there is no pandemic hospital in the north. There are not enough test kits, and not enough room at the ICU either. The health organisations object to the July 1 decision as well. “I am saying clearly that the July 1 July decision is just wrong,” Akıncı stressed.
- Akıncılar (Louroujina) residents want a crossing of their own – If the crossing is not opened, the villagers will boycott the elections.
- Premeditated murder – According to the autopsy report announced by the police under the title “premeditated murder,” it is stated that 83-year-old Veysi Akdeniz died as a result of stab wounds. The husband of Akdeniz’ caretaker, Azat Nurmamedov arrested by the police as the murder suspect.
- The PCR test price in the south reduced to €50.
Main News
Turkey moved to Category B list of countries
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
In a last-minute decision on Thursday, the Council of Ministers moved Turkey from category A to B lists of safe countries for precautionary reasons.
The decision came after mounting pressure from the opposition and the public to change Turkey’s categories after a spike in coronavirus cases in the country.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Turkey currently ranks 12th among the list of high-risk countries.
Turkey had initially been placed in category A, which concerns countries that are deemed safer than the rest as regards their coronavirus outlook.
Passengers arriving from countries in category A will only need to present a negative PCR test on arrival and will not need to enter quarantine.
According to the new cabinet decision, those coming from Turkey will not only need to present a negative PCR test carried out in the last 72 hours but will also be tested a second time upon arrival.
The cabinet also authorised the Turkish Cypriot health and the public works and communication ministries to regulate and control the number of passengers arriving through the sea and airports.
Both Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar and his deputy Kudret Özersay had hinted the change earlier in the day whilst addressing Thursday’s session of parliament.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar told MPs that they had decided that travellers from Turkey would have to present a negative PCR test done within 72 hours before departure and would also undergo a second test upon arrival.
“We have the capability to do this,” Tatar said.
He said this was the decision of the cabinet although when they convened on Tuesday there was no announcement on the matter.
Özersay echoed Tatar’s opinion and said there was consensus among the cabinet members to revise the July 1 decision.
“Various options are being debated due to Turkey’s current situation. A change in Turkey’s category from A, B and C; pushing forward the July 1 decision and other measures are being evaluated,” Özersay said.
He also said that situation in Turkey was very different when the July 1 decision had first been adopted.
Özersay also rejected the accusations that the initial decision to place Turkey in category A was political.
“If we had been adopting political decisions, we would have imposed a mandatory quarantine on the Greek Cypriots entering the north and not on passengers arriving from Turkey,” he said.
In response, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Doğuş Derya questioned the government’s rationale behind its decision to allow arrivals from Turkey on July 1, particularly when the WHO listed the country within the category of high-risk countries.
“I would like to know on the recommendation of which science board has this decision been taken?” she asked.
Derya argued that the decision to allow flights from Turkey was political.
CTP MP Sıla Usar also questioned how the government was planning to manage the testing process.
She argued that conducting coronavirus tests upon arrival with the current organization capacity seemed impossible.
Meanwhile, the CTP announced it would be supporting the protest action to be staged on Friday by the Trade Unions’ Platform and four health organizations.
A statement issued by the party called on the National Unity Party (UBP) -Peoples’ Party (HP) coalition government to manage the reopening process according to WHO criteria and on the basis of scientific data announced by the Science Board.
“We call on the government to reconsider and revise its decision regarding July 1, to upgrade the country’s health infrastructure and complete the construction of the pandemic hospital as soon as possible.
The Social Democratic Party (TDP) and the Left Movement have also expressed support to the protest to be staged on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Mustafa Akıncı had also urged the authorities in the north to revise its decision on coronavirus cases.
“In view of the sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases in Turkey, I urge the government to revise its decision in line with recommendations of the health experts, to allow people to enter the north as of July 1,” Akıncı stressed.
In an interview with Genç TV, Akıncı, said, “There is no pandemic hospital. There are not enough testing kits. There is not adequate bed-capacity at the ICU. The health organisations have warned of the risks of opening the ports without quarantine.”
Meanwhile, travel agencies have welcomed the government’s decision even though they expressed reservations over the move to place Turkey in category B.
Travel agents have expressed concerned that double PCR testing will raise prices and will be an inconvenience for arriving tourists but that a decision was better than no decision at all.
The Cyprob can be solved as long as there is political will
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Governance and Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
President Mustafa Akıncı on Wednesday said that the Cyprus problem could be solved as long as there was the necessary political will and desire.
In a televised interview with Genç TV, Akıncı reminded that efforts to reach a settlement had failed due to a lack of political will.
He explained that he has been working to protect the rights and the interests of the Turkish Cypriot community with the aim of reaching the federal solution since assuming office in 2015.
Responding to a question on other solution model alternatives, Akıncı pointed out a bizonal, bicommunal federal (BBF) was not only Turkey’s official position on Cyprus but also the internationally accepted solution model.
“The Turkish Cypriot side has always worked towards a federal solution but all of a sudden if you want to abandon the United Nations (UN) supported model; you have to have to replace it with something which the international community will accept and support. However, there is no such alternative at the moment,” Akıncı stressed.
He added that the fact that the north was unrecognised internationally made it impossible to pursue a different path.
“The Turkish Cypriot community’s dependency on Turkey will increase in the absence of a settlement. Annexation may not be official but while the Turkish Cypriots’ economic dependency increases, the population demographics will also change. In the end, we will end up living as the sub-administration of Turkey, just like the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) currently defines the north,” Akıncı stressed.
He added it is these very reasons why a federal solution was more viable for the Turkish Cypriot community.
“I am suggesting a life with equal political rights while protecting our own character and identity under a federal solution. This life will be within the European Union (EU) as well,” Akıncı said.
He recalled the Berlin trilateral actually provided a roadmap for the island.
“The Berlin trilateral put the process back on track by reaffirming the determination and commitment for the solution model supported by the UN,” Akıncı said.
He also said that the coronavirus pandemic had revealed once again how much the two communities needed each other on the island.
“It is necessary for the two communities to find a way to live in peace in Cyprus,” Akıncı said, adding that the Cyprus problem could only be solved by displaying political will.
Asked what will be different should be elected for a second term in office, Akıncı said his priorities for the next five years will not be any different from the past five years.
“The president today is the most trusted political figure in the north. It is because the people trust a person who speaks the truth and who works for them,” Akıncı said.
Akıncı noted that if he is re-elected for a second term, he will continue to work for the best interest of the Turkish Cypriot community.
“Our main goal must be to ensure that the Turkish Cypriot community is able to stand on its own feet with its identity and its character and attain self-governance and self-sustainability,” Akıncı stressed.
“The Cyprus problem will be our top priority but we will also work hard to solve our other problems.”
KEY ACTORS
Akıncı
>> The Cyprob can be solved as long as there is political will & desire.
>> Efforts to reach a solution since I assumed office has failed due to a lack of political will.
>> BBF is not only Turkey’s official position on Cyprus but it is also the internationally accepted solution model.
>> Any alternative solution model to a BBF must be internationally accepted & supported.
>> The TC community’s dependency on Turkey will increase under the current political conditions if there is no solution.
>> While the TCs’ economic dependency increases, the population demographics will change in the north and TCs will end up being governed as a sub-administration of Turkey.
>> The federal solution is more viable for the TC community.
>> A life as EU citizens with equal political rights while protecting our own character & identity under a federal solution is what I propose.
>> The Berlin trilateral has put the process back on track by reaffirming the determination & commitment to the solution model supported by the UN.
>> The coronavirus pandemic revealed once again how much the two communities need each other.
>> It is necessary for the two communities to find a way to live in peace in Cyprus.
>> The Cyprob can only be solved by displaying political will.
>> Priorities for the next five years if I’m re-elected will not change.
>> I will continue to work for the best interest of the TC community.
>> The main goal must be to ensure that the TC community is able to stand on their own feet with its identity, its character & attain self-governance & self-sustainability.
>> The Cyprob will remain a priority in the second term.
Children in Pile (Pyla) to be tested
Kıbrıs Postası, Havadis
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The children from Pile (Pyla), who were not allowed to return to their villages through the Beyarmudu (Pergamos) crossing point because they do not a PCR certificate, will be tested on Friday, Kıbrıs Postası reports.
Citing credible sources, the Turkish Cypriot daily also reported that the pleas made both by President Mustafa Akıncı and the Turkish Cypriot foreign ministry allowing the Turkish Cypriots below the age of 12 to cross to Pile (Pyla) without a PCR certificate, were rejected by the British authorities.
The Turkish Cypriot residents of Pile (Pyla) on Wednesday held a protest at the Beyarmudu (Pergamos) crossing after the British base’s personnel refused to let a family cross from the north back to the village because the children were not tested for coronavirus in light of the guidance from the Turkish Cypriot health ministry.
Villagers in Akıncılar (Louroujina): No crossings, no votes
Kıbrıs Postası, Avrupa
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
Residents of Akıncılar (Louroujina) on Thursday continued to push for the opening of a crossing point in their village, allowing them access to the south and ending the area’s isolation for the past 57 years,” Kıbrıs Postasıreported on Friday.
The residents of the village, threatened the Turkish Cypriot authorities of boycotting the elections unless their demand is met.
“The villagers are determined to boycott the upcoming presidential elections in the north if the Akıncılar (Louroujina) – Limnia (Kiracıköy) crossing point is not opened,” Mayor of the village Hasan Barbaros said.
Speaking to Kıbrıs Postası, Barbaros also noted the villagers want to take their demands to the next level and stage a protest in the northern part Nicosia.
“We have been waiting for Prime Minister Ersin Tatar to give us an appointment for three weeks now. We want a promise of a crossing point before the elections otherwise, the politicians should not expect any votes from us,” Barbaros stressed.
The villagers to raise awareness have built a booth which resembles a chicken coop with: “We have been imprisoned for 57 years. So when is the amnesty?” written on it.
Villagers have been having their photographs taken while sitting in the booth and posting them on social media.
Ankara lashes out at EU, Greece over the mistreatment of migrants
Kıbrıs Postası
Migration & Citizenship, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkey has slammed both the European Union (EU) and Greece over the mistreatment of migrants in violation of the international law in reaction to their top diplomats’ accusations against the Turkish government’s policies concerning the refugees and border disputes between Ankara and Athens.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy issued a written statement in response to remarks made by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Chief Josep Borrell during their visit to a military post at a border crossing with Turkey on Wednesday.
Aksoy described the statements by Dendias as yet another effort to cover up Athens’ human rights violations and crimes against the migrants in Greece, under the EU umbrella. “It’s exemplary to note that the EU commission is taking part in this,” he stated.
He also said that the Greek Foreign Minister Dendias’s remarks concerning the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean were far from the realities.
“It is time Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration wakes up from the dream that they can imprison Turkey to its own shores and that this is in line with international law,” Aksoy said.