Front Page Headlines
Have some democracy
The National Unity Party (UBP) witnessed interference in its internal affairs. Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy both announced their withdrawal from the race for the party’s leadership ahead of the second round. Chairman of the Congress Zorlu Töre: “Both candidates submitted in writing they were pulling out which means the second round will not take place. The decision to withdraw came from the individuals. We shall process their applications.”
- Hasan Taçoy: “I withdrew not to split the party in two.”
- UBP: What is important is the homeland – “No one should pay heed to the speculations and allegations. These two MPs will continue to serve in the coming years under different positions. What is important is UBP, the people and the homeland.”
- Erhürman: “Democracy has regressed for tens of years” – “The Turkish Cypriot people’s political will and confidence which are vital in ensuring its existence, as well as the preservation of its identity and culture for the future, has incurred serious damage.
All eyes on UBP
Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy, who were preparing to run for the leadership of UBP in the second round of voting withdrew from the race yesterday (Thursday). The process, which led to ‘uncertainty’ both in the party and in the country, is expected to be clarified today (Friday).
- 233 cases in one day – South Cyprus breaks record after record in terms of the number of (coronavirus) cases.
- The worst period for hotels – The coronavirus pandemic has deeply affected the tourism sector. There is a significant drop in the occupancy rates in the hotels.
“Faiz haram” (Double meaning: Faiz also means ‘interest’ in Turkish)
President Ersin Tatar was called after midnight on Wednesday and instructed to tell Faiz Sucuoğlu to withdraw from the race. Tatar then passed down the instructions to UBP officials, and all went crazy. The scheduled second round of voting for the UBP leadership was called off when Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy withdrew from the race. A new congress will be called within 45 days.
‘Shocking’ development within UBP
Sucuoğlu and Taçoy withdrew from the race just hours before the second round. Ersan Saner was appointed as the acting leader of UBP and the task was given to him to form the new government. As UBP’s members were preparing for the second round of voting to elect the new party leader, they received a serious shock around noon upon hearing that Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy were withdrawing from the race. Congress Chairman Zorlu Töre spoke to Diyalog confirming the news. He stated that both candidates had informed the party of their withdrawal in writing. He said that the party’s General Secretary will serve as the acting leader of the party. Hasan Taçoy, who spoke to Diyalog, said that Ersan Saner will be handed the task of forming the new government today (Friday). He said there will be only one candidate running in a new party congress to be held in 20 days. Taçoy said that he had withdrawn from the race for the sake of the party and country’s unity.
- They can’t stop it – Seven Covid-19 cases in the north, 233 in the south.
Fuat Oktay told him to withdraw, Faiz Sucuoğlu withdrew
The congress is cancelled… Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy surrendered to Ankara. Both candidates withdrew their candidacies… A new congress will be called within 45 days. Ersan Saner will serve as acting prime minister!
- 233 cases of coronavirus in the south, seven in the north.
Main News
UBP calls off leadership election, triggering speculation
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The National Unity Party (UBP) on Thursday, in an unexpected move, called off the second round of its elections set to take place this Saturday to elect a new party leader.
Both candidates Hasan Taçoy and Faiz Sucuoğlu announced that they were withdrawing their candidacies, making way for the party’s General Secretary Ersan Saner to call for the 12th extraordinary congress within 45 days.
The party’s ordinary congress is set to take place ten months from now in 2021.
While Taçoy had only announced on Tuesday that he would not be withdrawing from the race, Sucuoğlu who saw his victory as certain had been issuing statements on how he would be forming his cabinet.
The announcement immediately triggered speculation that the race was called off following Ankara’s objection to Sucuoğlu.
Avrupa had already reported on Thursday that Ankara favoured Taçoy over Sucuoğlu and that Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials were working for his election.
On Friday, Avrupa claimed that Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay had interfered after the AKP’s officials failed to convince Sucuoğlu to withdraw from the race.
The paper alleged that Oktay called Sucuoğlu on the phone.
It said that Sucuoğlu first refused to withdraw, stating that he was ready to pay the price only to back down later on.
The daily claims that the reason why Ankara vetoed Sucuoğlu was that he had met with Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu and officials from the İYİ (Good) Party during his last visit to Turkey.
The paper interestingly noted that Sucuoğlu’s itinerary had been prepared by the former speaker of the Turkish parliament who also happens to be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar’s lawyer İsmail Kahraman.
What’s more, Sucuoğlu had approved his itinerary with the Turkish ambassador Ali Murat Başçeri before the visit, the daily claimed.
Havadis claimed the second round was indeed called off because of Ankara’s interference and objections to Sucuoğlu being elected as the UBP’s next leader.
According to undisclosed sources, it was newly elected Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, who is reported to have fallen out with Sucuoğlu, who instigated Ankara’s interference.
The same sources also noted that Ankara did not approve some of the names proposed by Sucuoğlu to be in the next cabinet either.
Kıbrıs reported that Tatar’s instructions came from Ankara who then passed them on to the party officials.
In the meantime, UBP MP Zorlu Töre, who was appointed as the ‘Chairman of Congress’ announced with a written statement that both candidates had submitted their resignations from the leadership race.
“This is neither a cancellation nor a postponement of the congress,” Töre said, adding that the authorised bodies within the UBP will identify the date for a new congress which needs to be held within the next 45 days.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Hasan Taçoy rejected speculations that it was Ankara’s interference that had led to the cancellation of the UBP congress.
Saner, in a statement later on Thursday evening, said that the two candidates had withdrawn from the race for their love and respect for the party.
He ruled out speculation that there was ‘outside’ interference, calling on the people to ignore such hearsay.
“The two MPs will continue to serve this country and the people in the years to come. What comes before anything else is the UBP, the people, our homeland and the state. The UBP will continue to serve the people as it has done in the past,” he said.
Speaking to Yenidüzen, Taçoy added that it will be the members of UBP who will be voting in the next congress.
“If we had not decided to withdraw from the second round of leadership elections, UBP would have been split into two. The government, which is what the country needs now, can only be formed if the party is unified,” Taçoy said.
Asked whether or not he still intends to run for the party’s leadership, Taçoy said he will announce his decision in the coming days.
“I will consult fellow party members but I subscribe to the belief that there should only be one candidate for the leadership in the next congress,” Taçoy concluded.
In another development, the leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı claimed that the party’s self-exiled former leader Hüseyin Özgürgün was preparing to return to the island.
“Özgürgün informed me of his intention to return to the country and to run as a candidate in the next congress to be held within 45 days,” Arıklı said during a programme on Bayrak.
He added that the two had spoken on the phone following the Turkish Cypriot presidential elections.
A similar claim was made by Ali Kişmir, head of the Turkish Cypriot Press Workers’ Union (BASIN-SEN) on Thursday.
In a social media post, Kişmir said Özgürgün will become the next leader of the UBP.
The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman also slammed the UBP for bowing to Ankara’s pressure put on the party.
In a post on social media on Thursday night, the CTP leader said that the country’s democracy had regressed by decades as a result of the latest political developments.
“The Turkish Cypriot people’s political will and confidence which are vital in ensuring its existence, as well as the preservation of its identity and culture for the future, has incurred serious damage,” he said.
Erhürman added that it was every Turkish Cypriots’ responsibility to create a sustainable economy, to create an administrative structure based on democracy, secularism and the rule of law, as well as to find a solution to the Cyprus Problem through dialogue based on international law.
The CTP’s General Secretary Erdoğan Sorakin said that the attempts by UBP to create the perception that everything was in order were a great act of disrespect towards the Turkish Cypriot community, particularly because the country was struggling with serious economic problems.
Tatar receives Lillie
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Economy, Human Rights, External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Representatives of foreign missions on the island continue to pay courtesy visits to the newly-elected Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar.
Tatar on Thursday received the British High Commissioner to Cyprus Stephen Lillie at his office in Nicosia.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the President, Tatar conveyed the Turkish Cypriot side’s vision for a settlement in Cyprus based on sovereign equality to the British High Commissioner.
He also emphasized the importance of lifting the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot community, primarily the restriction on direct flights to and from Ercan (Tymbou).
Tatar expressed his view that the UK, due to its historic, political and economic ties with Cyprus, could help the Turkish Cypriot side be treated more fairly within the international arena and end the economic imbalance between the two sides.
He added that he expected the UK to take on a role in ending the discrimination the Turkish Cypriot community was being subjected to by the international community.
Other issues discussed at the meeting included the recent leaders’ meeting, the issue of Maraş (Varosha) and the issue of hydrocarbons.
Second phase of EU financial aid scheme launched
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
EU Matters, Economy
OVERVIEW
The “Innovative Entrepreneurship and Dialogue” Project, which is part of the EU-financed economic support package, launched the second phase grant scheme entitled ‘Life-line support for hairdressers and beauty parlours’ on Thursday.
Micro and/or small and medium-sized enterprises in the hairdressers and beauty parlours sector which are eligible will be able to receive ₺18,000 (€1,800) each.
The business operators can apply to benefit from the grant scheme from November 6 onwards until November 23.
The goal of the scheme is to minimize the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and to assist the businesses in overcoming the cash-flow problems experienced due to the pandemic.
The first phase of the scheme was completed on September 25 and nearly 800 establishments have benefitted from the support scheme which has a total budget of €3m.
The grant scheme will be collectively managed by the Turkish Cypriot Investment Agency (YAGA), Turkish Cypriot Shopkeepers and Artisans (KTEZO), the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) and the Turkish Cypriot Restaurateurs’ Association (RES-BIR) within the scope of the EU financed Innovative Entrepreneurship and Dialogue Project, which has an overall budget of €3m and is implemented by Northern Ireland Cooperation Overseas (NI-CO) to continue the EU’s support for economic development in the Turkish Cypriot community.
The three-year project aims to open up shared spaces for innovation, inclusive and entrepreneurial engagement, community dialogue and knowledge sharing.
Doctors warn stricter inspections needed on Covid-testing labs
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB) on Thursday warned of the need for laboratories that carry out PCR tests on the coronavirus to be strictly inspected and their adherence to international standards ensured.
In a written statement, KTTB warned that failure to do so could leave the north vulnerable to an uncontrollable spike in Covid-19 cases.
The association underlined that the PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) is the most effective way to test for coronavirus and noted that the PCR tests have two steps.
The first step is the “extraction” process, which is done to separate the genetic material from the microbe and to purify it. The second step is to populate the targeted genetic material.
The Association drew attention to the fact that health officials in the north carry out ‘Swift PCR tests,’ which means that they skip the first phase.
“As the extraction phase is skipped, the numbers of positive coronavirus cases drop as well. It is for this reason the medical personnel, health professionals, testing kits and testing equipment as well as the laboratories must be inspected regularly and their adherence to international standards must be ensured,” the statement read.
“The labs’ ability to give accurate test results must be compared to previously submitted positive and negative samples,” the Doctors’ Association concluded.
In the meantime, Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli said the health authorities were working to switch to a home-based quarantine system.
Speaking during a programme on Bayrak, Pilli said the Covid-19 pandemic had been contained as a result of the measures implemented but the pandemic will not be over in the north until it is also over globally.
Touching on the quarantine systems, Pilli noted that the best option is to continue with the hotel-based quarantine system but pointed out this was creating a heavy and unsustainable financial burden on the state.
“As the Health Ministry, we are working on implementing the home-based quarantine system,” Pilli said, warning that the number of cases will increase if people do not comply with its requirements.
Responding to a question on the exemptions granted to people arriving for three days or less, Pilli reminded that these passengers were only allowed entry to the north with double negative PCR test results.
Rejecting the allegation that the exemption was granted to appease casino owners so that gamblers could fly in to gamble, Pilli said some technical teams and doctors come to the north for short business trips as well.