Front Page Headlines
“The payment of 13th salaries will not be perceived as a success”
The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman gave a stern warning to the government. “I am repeating what I have been saying since March. The government’s focus must be on the economy, keeping unemployment low and businesses on their feet so that the recovery process will be easier as and when we start normalising by the middle of 2021 with the arrival of the vaccines. Reviving the economy will be extremely difficult if businesses go bankrupt and people go unemployed. That is why we need measures that will keep them on their feet and the government needs to do this,” said Erhürman.
- Minority government receives a vote of confidence. 24 voted in favour, 20 against, three abstained
- They wanted numbers for the vaccine – The south requested information through the bicommunal Technical Committee for Health on the number of vaccines to be delivered to the north.
The New Year dinner table will be expensive
Everyone will be at home for New Year’s Eve dinner this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But it will be very difficult to prepare a special table for the dinner. The cost of a modest family dinner for four will cost approximately ₺589 (€62).
- The Five-plus-UN informal meeting planned for February – Jane Holl Lute, UN Secretary-General’s temporary special envoy is expected to return to the island.
- Stop disregarding the Turkish Cypriots – Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay gave a message to the international community and said: “We will not allow anyone to harm the TRNC’s legitimate rights.”
- The only goal of the government is to serve the TRNC during this difficult time – The National Unity Party (UBP) – Democratic Party (DP) – Rebirth Party (YDP) coalition government received a vote of confidence. Prime Minister Ersan Saner, following the voting, thanked the parliament.
It’s just us now
Even though people made the best of the sunshine as they went out, the shopping areas were empty. Shopkeepers spent their time playing backgammon. Following the wet and windy weather last week, people rushed outdoors to enjoy the sunny weather. There was more activity within the walled city of Nicosia compared to weekdays but those who spent time at the cafes and restaurants did not shop. The shopkeepers in the area spent their time playing backgammon. Life in the shopping area has died out after students left the country and tourism came to a standstill due to the coronavirus. “It’s just us now. The economy has hit rock bottom,” the shopkeepers said, urging the authorities to take urgent measures.
- Five-party conference in February – Lute will be visiting the island again in January to meet with the two leaders.
- Capacity 260,000 –The two special freezers to store Covid-19 vaccines which the Greek Cypriot administration purchased for €30,000 arrived in South Cyprus.
- Who is going to pay (for the vaccines?) – Greek Cypriots who are demanding an exact figure from the Turkish Cypriot side are asking who is going to pay.
7,683 citizenships, 8,000 pending
Ayşegül Baybars announced the number of citizenships given during her term in office. Former Interior Minister, People’s Party (HP) MP Ayşegül Baybars announced she granted 7,683 citizenships during her term… The UBP-DP-YDP government is getting ready to grant 8,000 more citizenships. She said the citizenships were granted from February 2018 to November 2020 and added that there are about 3,000 applicants whose paperwork has been completed. When the spouses, children and other similar situations are factored in, the number goes up to 8,000.
- Protest staged in İskele (Trikomo) for the environment and the coast – İskele (Trikomo) Initiative for the Protection of the Environment and Coastline staged a protest against uncontrolled development.
- 24 approvals, 20 rejections and three abstentions – The government received the vote of confidence.
- The South asked for numbers – The Greek Cypriot side asked for the number of people to be vaccinated in the north.
Main News
New minority government in north receives vote of confidence
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance and Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The National Unity Party (UBP) – Democratic Party (DP) – Rebirth Party (YDP) minority government on Saturday received a vote of confidence in the Turkish Cypriot parliament with 24 votes.
The three MPs, Mesut Genç, Hasan Büyükoğlu and Hasan Topal, who had resigned from the People’s Party (HP) a day before the establishment of the three-party coalition abstained from voting. The opposition parties, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) with 11 MPs, Social Democratic Party (TDP) with three MPs and HP with six MPs, voted against the government.
CTP’s 12th MP, Özdil Nami, surprisingly, did not turn up for the vote.
The three parties that formed the government voted in favour with 24 MPs – 19 MPs from UBP, 3 from DP and 2 from YDP.
As expected, UBP’s 20th MP, Hüseyin Özgürgün, who is currently in Turkey, did not take part in the vote despite rumours he would fly back for the vote.
Speaker of the Turkish Cypriot parliament Teberrüken Uluçay, who chaired the session, announced the results of the open vote held for the minority government.
“The government received the vote of confidence with 24 votes in favour, 20 against and three abstentions,” Uluçay said.
“According to the parliamentary bylaws in force, the number of approvals is higher than those rejected thus the Council of Ministers has been given the vote of confidence,” he added.
Prime Minister Ersan Saner, following the voting, thanked everyone in the parliament and vowed to work in close collaboration with the opposition.
“The government aims to work in close collaboration with all the political parties in the parliament on issues ranging from economy to the Cyprus issue,” Saner said, adding that their sole goal is to serve the Turkish Cypriot people.
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar congratulated the new government for receiving the vote of confidence. In a social media post on Saturday, Tatar wished all the success for the three-party coalition.
“The UBP-DP-YDP coalition has taken on the responsibility at a very difficult time. We expect that the government will overcome the problems and come up with the required solutions to problems,” Tatar said.
“I will be on your side during your efforts,” Tatar concluded.
Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Prime Minister Ersan Saner on Saturday.
In his message, Erdoğan expressed his belief that the new government will work towards improving and developing the north.
“Turkey will always remain on the side of the Turkish Cypriot people and will continue to provide all the support needed for strengthening and developing the TRNC,” Erdoğan concluded.
7,683 citizenships approved, 8,000 more in line
Avrupa
Migration and Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Former Interior Minister Ayşegül Baybars said she granted 7,683 citizenships in her term from February 2018 to November 2020, Avrupa reports on Sunday.
Speaking during a programme on SESKıbrıs web TV, Baybars added that there are also another three thousand applicants whose paperwork has been completed and is pending approval.
“About 3,000 applicants are waiting for approval on their applications however when their spouses and children are factored in, the number goes up to 8,000,” Baybars said.
Touching on the importance of updating the citizenship law, Baybars highlighted that the population issue must be a state policy.
Baybars noted that HP, now in opposition, will continue to press for the passing of a new citizenship bill by parliament.
“In our opinion, the citizenship issue should be structured on a sense of belonging to the country and not on the number of years a person has been residing or working in the country,” Baybars said.
She also said it was not right for some people who have been residing in the country for more than 30 years to be denied citizenship while others who have only been in the country with work permits for 11 years to be granted citizenship.
Lute planning 5+UN conference for February
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
UN Special envoy Jane Holl Lute will return to the island by mid-January to hold meetings with the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, several dailies reported on Sunday.
Lute had presented the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres a report on her assessments following her meetings in Nicosia, Athens and Ankara in December.
Citing credible sources, Lute will hold her final evaluations for the informal five-plus-UN conference with the two leaders in mid-January for the conference to be held in February.
27 irregular migrants found in Kyrenia
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Migration and Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Police discovered and detained a total of 27 undocumented Syrian migrants in two separate operations in Kyrenia, the dailies report on Sunday.
According to a statement issued, the police found 15 Syrian migrants trying to enter the north from an unauthorised point of entry near Karşıyaka (Vasilia) at midnight on Friday.
There were ten men, four women and a child in the group.
In a second operation, police on Saturday morning found five men, four women and three children at Kayalar (Orga) village, east of Kyrenia, trying to enter the north unlawfully.
Police also found an abandoned speed boat in the area.
All 27, following their medical checks, remain in police custody until an investigation into the incident is completed.