TCC Press Review 25 Sept 2020

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

No water

It’s the 25th of September but still, no water has arrived. It was first announced that repairs on the water pipeline from Turkey would be completed by August 30 but then pushed further to September 25. The completion date was postponed yet again to an unknown date due to delays caused by weather conditions at sea. Water still does not flow from the taps and water shortages continue to be experienced in Nicosia and Famagusta. Even private water suppliers are struggling to find water. The Geçitkale (Lefkoniko) Dam has completely dried up. The lack of planning and negligence in managing the country’s water resources has outraged everyone.

Kıbrıs

Fear and terror

The Kyrenia-Alsancak (Karavas) road resembled a warzone after two cars collided in an accident on Thursday, injuring eight people.

  • Consumed a lot but not replenished – Almost all the bottles of disinfectants placed near the ATMs are empty. Placing disinfectants at the ATMs was one of the precautionary measures but no one is controlling whether or not the bottles are being replenished.

Havadis

It will have a catastrophic effect

Havadis columnist Mehmet Moreket, in his column, wrote about the consequences of keeping the universities shut this semester. He said the issue will trigger a chain of events which will result in economic catastrophe.

  • Corona will become a nightmare – Professor Constantinos Tsioutis, who is an internal diseases prevention and control expert at the European University, warned the public.
  • 16 days left to the elections – Mustafa Akıncı visited the old town of Nicosia. Republican Turkish Party (CTP) candidate Tufan Erhürman said “My style is based on dialogue” during a TV programme.

Diyalog

Don’t you dare set up a ballot box

Citizens in Akçay (Argaki) who have been staging a protest in the village after 1,500 dönüms (dunams) of citrus orchids have been left without water have warned politicians not to step foot in their village. The orchid owners have been unable to water their trees after EL-SEN (The Turkish Cypriot Electricity Workers’ Union) cut off the electricity of water pumps in the area as a result of ₺3m (€337,650) in unpaid bills. The head of the Citrus Growers’ Association Ali Alioğlu warned that 10,000 tons of citrus produce could be lost because the orchids were not being watered.

Avrupa

Hitler leaves its mark on the elections

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman argued that the election campaign of one of the presidential candidate’s resembled that one pursued by Hitler. Responding to a question on who he thinks will not vote for him, Erhürman said he was expecting votes from every circle in the community and added that he rejects ‘Goebbels’ style tactics based on polarizing and dividing people during his election campaign. President Mustafa Akıncı, when announcing his candidacy, had said “I do not expect those who have internalised the lynching culture to vote for me. I’d rather not get elected with their votes!” It is believed that Erhürman uttered these words for Mustafa Akıncı. As it is known, the Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı, who had used Hitler to describe the doctors, had announced he will support Erhürman in the second round.

  • KTAMS staged a protest at the prime ministry – KTAMS (Turkish Cypriot Public Servants’ Union) staged a protest claiming that the prime minister did not respond to their proposal to work on a rotational basis.

Main News

The key is the solution of the Cyprob

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
EU Matters, Negotiations Process, Energy, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

“The solution of the Cyprus problem, which has a definitive impact on relations between Turkey and Greece, is the key in establishing stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Akel MEP Niyazi Kızılyürek and Greek MEP and Vice President of the European Parliament Dimitris Papadimoulis said on Thursday.

The two MEPs, in a joint statement, urged the relevant parties to swiftly solve the Cyprus Problem in line with UN resolutions, adding that a political settlement on the island will also help improve and normalize the relations between Turkey and Greece.

“Both Turkey and Greece must contribute to the efforts to find a sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem,” Kızılyürek and Papadimoulis noted.

Arguing that the problems in the Aegean are independent of the Cyprus problem, the MEPs urged the EU to resolve the problem in the Aegean in compliance with international law.

“Many energy analysts have argued that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’ tendency to leave both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots out of the energy plans, would result in more aggressive reactions from Turkey,” the two said in the joint statement, adding that Anastasiades’ geopolitical strategy has harmed the dynamics of dialogue for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

“A comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue is the sole realistic option for both the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots to restore their rights,” the statement said.

It added neither community would gain anything from continuing with policies based on tension.

“In this regard establishing a bicommunal, bizonal (BBF) federal state based on political equality with a single sovereignty, single international identity and single citizenship, is an urgent priority on the island,” Kızılyürek and Papadimoulis stressed.

“The solution of the Cyprus problem will improve the Turkey-Greece relations and will significantly contribute to establishing stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean region,” the joint statement concluded.


Cypriot youth give a joint message for peace & the environment

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Human rights, CBMs, Negotiations Process, Energy

OVERVIEW

A group of Turkish and Greek Cypriot youth sent a letter to the two community leaders urging them to help contribute lowering tension in the Eastern Mediterranean and to review their hydrocarbon exploration activities off the coast of Cyprus, the dailies report on Friday.

The bicommunal group made up of 19 young individuals, read out their letter outside the Presidential Palace in south Nicosia on Thursday, asking the two leaders not to draw the Cypriots into a bigger geopolitical tension that will threaten the livelihood of all Cypriots.

“Contrary to the claims, natural gas resources are not likely to bring peace to Cyprus. There had not been any constructive negotiations between the two leaders in the past three years,” the letter read.

The youth urged the two leaders to resume the negotiations process from the point it had been left-off in Crans Montana.

“We strongly believe that the Cyprus problem can only be solved through the unification of the island,” the Cypriot youth stressed and strongly rejected the continuation of the status quo, which brought the communities on the island on the verge of conflict.

“We urge the leaders to work towards building the spirit of mutual understanding and collaboration instead of being tools for bigger powers’ geopolitical ambitions and interests,” the youth stressed.

The group also highlighted the possible environmental consequences of investing in fossil fuels in the Mediterranean in light of the island’s tourism revenues.

“As a group of Cypriot youth concerned about the environment, investing in fossil fuel projects raise serious questions about the future of the island,” the letter read.

The Cypriot youth, as part of their demands listed in the letter, also asked the two leaders to work on confidence-building measures (CBMs) for the energy future of the island and to establish a bicommunal committee for the reopening of Maraş (Varosha) under the authority of the UN and in line with UN Security Council resolutions 550 and 789.

“We demand that the community leaders will review their hydrocarbon exploration activities by placing the future of the Cypriots before economic gains,” the youth said.

They demanded the leaders be concerned about peace and environmental sustainability.

“We want you as the community leaders to hear the cry of the Cypriot youth. We have a lot to lose with the tension around the island and with the status quo,” the letter concluded.


The MGK emphasizes the need for dialogue & the determination to protect rights

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy, External Security, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

“Turkey prefers dialogue to overcome disagreements in every platform for fair distribution of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish National Security Council (MGK) said on Thursday.

In a statement following the meeting, which convened under the chairmanship of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the MGK said that Ankara is determined to protect its rights in the region.

The MGK also invited all countries to act with common sense and in accordance with international law including Greece, which is fortifying its military presence on Kastellorizo (Megisti-Meis), as well as smaller islets around the area.

The MGK also reaffirmed its positions on Turkey’s support to establish stability both in Libya and Syria; its determination to continue fighting against terrorism including the fight against Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).


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