Front Page Headlines
Fear, worry, negligence
Social distancing rules were completely ignored at the National Unity Party’s congress. The free PCR testing practice for private sector employees and the fact that two people escaped from quarantine has raised concerns that we are losing control of the situation.
- UBP pretended to hold an election – Ersan Saner declared new party leader.
- 14 children killed in massacre to be buried – The remains of seven girls and seven boys massacred by EOKA-B militants in Muratağa-Sandallar to be buried separately on Saturday, December 26 at a ceremony to be held at 10am. The remains of the 14 children, the youngest four-months-old and the oldest 15, were unearthed from a mass grave and recently identified by the Committee on Missing Persons.
The shopkeepers are ruined
The coronavirus pandemic has turned the country’s economy upside-down. According to data from KTEZO (Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans), more than 10,000 businesses suspended their operations during the lockdown period, considering also the loss of the value of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies. Nearly 1,500 businesses shut down completely.
- Labourers working in the south moved to another facility – Due to the increase in the number of positive Covid-19 cases at the dormitory which was used as a quarantine facility, it was decided to move the Turkish Cypriot workers employed in the south elsewhere.
- Two Syrian migrants fled from the quarantine – Two undocumented migrants, who were in contact with other Syrian migrants who tested positive for Covid-19, escaped from the quarantine centre where they were being held.
- Ersan Saner becomes the UBP leader – The National Unity Party (UBP) held its 12th extraordinary congress.
UBP’s most spiritless congress
The UBP extraordinary congress, which had its first round on October 31, was completed yesterday at the ‘Elysium Park’ hall in north Nicosia. A repeat of the extraordinary congress could only be held 50 days later under the shadow of speculations of interference after the top two candidates Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy were forced to pull out of the the race.
- Direct flights to Ercan (Tymbou) against Maraş (Varosha) – Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades is planning to attend the five-party conference, which will be held in Geneva at the end of January or early February, with a package of confidence-building measures (CBMs).
- The fear of the virus grows – The Health Ministry pointed to the increase in the number of cases and asked the workers of the businesses that are in close contact with their customers such as hairdressers, restaurants, massage parlours, beauty salons and fitness centres to carry out PCR tests.
‘It will be paid’
Trade unions for civil servants, teachers and doctors as well as pensioners state that 13th salaries are a right and argue that the state cannot scrap them. The unions spoke to Diyalog expressing their discontent over the debate raging over the 13th salaries. They believe that the state will come up with funds to pay the salaries. Some union heads said that many people took out loans months ago believing that their 13th salaries were guaranteed. They warn that people will experience serious financial problems should the government decide to scrap the salaries or opt for a different formula.
He too is a victim of a conspiracy
Commanding police officer Ali Savaş Altan prevented bloodshed at the attack on our newspaper on January 22, 2018. He gave the names of the nine attackers to the court and insisted that the six suspects who had been arrested would be charged with intent to ignite a social uprising and tried at the heavy crimes court, bringing him came face-to-face with the prosecutors’ office… As a result, he got into trouble… He was first suspended from his duty with a lame excuse. Then he was taken to court with allegations of bribery. The case has been going on for nearly two years now. The person claimed to have bribed Altan confessed to his close circle that he had not, but he is still not going to the court to admit the truth…
- Saner elected the UBP leader – The sole candidate Prime Minister Ersan Saner became the UBP leader in the party’s 12th extraordinary congress.
- 242 positive coronavirus cases and two deaths in the south, eight local, a total of 19 cases in the north.
Main News
TCs need to be protected from dangerous adventures, says Tatar
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
“It is time to protect the Turkish Cypriots from dangerous adventures,” Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar said on Sunday.
He said it was important to move forward by taking into account the bitter experiences of the past.
In a message issued to mark the 57th anniversary of the 1963 intercommunal incidents, Tatar added that all the models discussed to date other than the two-state solution had failed to yield any results.
“We as the Turkish Cypriots will not make any concessions on our sovereignty, our freedom, our independence or from Turkey’s guarantees and the presence of Turkish troops on the island,” Tatar stressed.
He argued that Turkey has been protecting the Turkish Cypriots since 1963, finally rescuing them from the Greek Cypriots on July 20, 1974.
“It is because of Turkey that the Turkish Cypriots can live in freedom and security today,” Tatar said.
He also argued that the Greek Cypriot side continues to see the Turkish Cypriots as a minority on the island.
“The Greek Cypriot side not only sees the Turkish Cypriots as a minority but also denies political equality and sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots,” Tatar argued, adding that the Greek Cypriot side also supported the idea of scrapping Turkey’s guarantees .
“We as the Turkish Cypriots want to see a solution established on the island but this agreement has to be based on two separate sovereign states,” Tatar concluded.
Saner officially becomes leader of UBP
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The National Unity Party (UBP) elected Hamza Ersan Saner as its new leader a day after his new coalition government received a vote of confidence in the Turkish Cypriot parliament.
Unlike the previous party congress, Saner was the only candidate, filling in the seat vacated after Ersin Tatar became the new Turkish Cypriot president.
His election is expected to temporarily settle the ripples within the party following a power struggle that followed Tatar’s election.
An extraordinary party congress in early November had been cancelled amid speculation of interference from Ankara.
The two candidates, Faiz Sucuoğlu and Hasan Taçoy, had won the most votes in the first round of congress held in November, and did not hide their bitterness on Sunday.
Sucuoğlu who had received the highest votes and was seen by many as the favourite to win the leadership race did show up but left early citing health issues.
Taçoy on the other hand also showed up only after Saner was declared the new party leader.
Both, in a surprising move, had announced their withdrawal from the race before the second round amid rumours that Ankara did not want either candidate to become party leader.
Since Saner was the sole candidate on Sunday as agreed beforehand, he was announced as the new party leader shortly after the congress was opened.
In his election speech, Saner said that he will be visiting Ankara in the coming days to discuss issues such as economic assistance and infrastructure projects.
He also said that the party had maintained its unity and solidarity during the process to form the government and hold its extraordinary congress.