Front Page Headlines
5000 cars sold in six months
Automotive sales have not dropped despite pandemic. Even during the lockdown in April, 32 cars were sold. The 5267 cars sold due to the VAT discount introduced on cars was recorded in the country’s statistics for the first six months of the year. Consumers purchased luxury brands such as Honda, Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Suzuki, BMW and Audi the most. A total of 700 Hondas, 623 Mercedes Benz, 592 Toyotas, 457 Suzuki, 299 BMWs and 129 Audis were sold.
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Children are not protected from labour
Despite the numerous provisions in various laws and regulations on ‘child labour’, it has not been possible to prevent children from being used in the labour force. It is unfortunate but the ‘child labour’ problem resurfaces whenever a child suffers a workplace accident.
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Year of bankruptcy
Travel agencies who state it’s not possible to carry out tourism with two flights a day have given up on 2020. Most agencies have shut down their offices. Despite 40 flights landing every day at Larnaca and Paphos airport in the south, the fact that only two flights land in the north per day has brought the tourism sector to the brink of bankruptcy. The head of the Travel Agencies Association Orhun Tolun said that even though travel agencies looked like they were open and operating, they were not. He added that it was expected to stay like this until April 2021.
- It is against the law –The Chamber of Commerce has conveyed the difficulties created by the Greek Cypriot side on the crossings to the UN.
- More and more is unveiling –The ruling DISY party in South Cyprus announced that hundreds of Greek Cypriot officers have been receiving military training in Russia since 1995.
Her eyes and face bruised and battered
Police violence on two African sisters. Police have yet to make on a statement on the alleged incident where two African women were assaulted by officers despite the uproar on social media. The two women, sisters claimed that they were forcefully detained by undercover police while waiting for a taxi on Dereboyu Street (Shakespeare Avenue). The sisters said they were beaten up on the way to the police station and beaten again at the police station. The sisters complained to the police yesterday (Saturday) but the four police officers in response claimed the sisters prevented the police from carrying out their duty.
- TKP-YG called on the people to reject the constitutional amendments in the public referendum.
Main News
KTTO relays problems caused by the GC side to the UN
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
“The Greek Cypriot side’s practices at the crossing points are against humane values and legal principles,” Tugay Deniz, head of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) said in a letter sent to Elizabeth Spehar, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in Cyprus, on Saturday.
In his letter, Deniz recalled that KTTO had a meeting with the Greek Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE) on June 2, 2020.
“During the online meeting held with KEVE, the two Chambers had emphasized the importance of the crossing points in fostering the economic and social relations between the communities and urged the two leaders to open the crossing points without delay,” Deniz said.
He also underlined the importance of continuing trade across the divide in line with the Green Line trade regulation.
Touching on the situation at the crossing points following their reopening, Deniz stated that the Greek Cypriot authorities were not allowing foreigners including the European Union (EU) citizens to cross from the south to the north.
“It is not possible to comprehend the reasons for such an unfortunate decision,” Deniz stressed and urged the Greek Cypriot side to revise its practices.
“Moreover, the Lokmacı (Ledra St.) crossing point, which is vital for economic relations between the two communities, is still being kept closed by the Greek Cypriot administration,” Deniz said.
“The Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral decisions regarding the crossing points are inhumane and they contradict the legal principles in place,” Deniz concluded.
The CMP reaffirms the operations continue as planned
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security, CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The Committee on Missing Person (CMP) in Cyprus on Saturday reaffirmed that its bicommunal operations have resumed and continued as scheduled since the lifting of the restrictions on the crossing points at the beginning of July
In a statement issued, the CMP said the anthropologists resumed their work on the identification of missing persons on June 22; and the archaeologists on July 2.
“CMP’s archaeological teams are currently excavating seven burial sites of which six are located in the north and one in the south of the island,” the statement said.
Moreover, it noted that the three CMP Members conducted a visit to two excavation sites in the suburbs of Famagusta on July 8.
The House Refugee Committee on the Greek Cypriot side had claimed on Tuesday that the work carried out by the CMP was being hampered by the recent decisions in the north over checkpoints.
According to Akel MP Skevi Koukouma, attempts to carry out excavations had been “frozen” by decisions taken in the north about the checkpoints.
The statement noted that the CMP’s bicommunal scientists employed at the CMP Anthropological Laboratory are currently analysing the remains of 162 individuals by adhering to strict international scientific standards. The remains of 74 individuals have been assessed as complex as they are either incomplete or fragmented and necessitate more advanced and specialised genetic analyses.
CMP’s scientists are also trying to overcome challenges such as the lack of informative family reference samples to establish the identification of a missing person.