Front Page Headlines
‘Partial’ shutdown for Kyrenia
The Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases adopts new measures. Radical measures are being taken in the Kyrenia area where locally transmitted cases are on the rise. Many businesses in the Alsancak (Karavas) and Karşıyaka (Vasilia) area will be shut down as of tomorrow. While in-class education is set to begin in all areas tomorrow, there will be no face-to-face education in the Kyrenia area. Classes will commence online.
- “Two-state solution will only remain in words” – The head of the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Prof Dr Ahmet Sözen said that the two-state solution model will go no further than statements made by Turkish Cypriot officials. He said that any new process to begin will be to negotiate a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) settlement, the second preferred option of the two sides.
Alsancak (Karavas) – Karşıyaka (Vasilia) range closed
Health Ministry’s Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases announced additional measures. According to the new measures, in-class education will resume at all public and private schools tomorrow except for the Kyrenia area. The majority of the previously adopted measures remain in force. Due to a surge in positive cases, there will be partial lockdown in the Alsancak (Karavas) and Karşıyaka (Vasilia) area where all businesses will cease their operations from 5am on Monday until further notice.
- The EU is sending 1,170 doses of vaccines – Health Minister Ali Pilli said the 1,170 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will be delivered tomorrow and the inoculation drive with these vaccines will continue from Tuesday onwards.
- (Health) Ministry will collaborate with the municipalities – A positive step was taken for people 65 and above and people with chronic diseases to get vaccinated. The Nicosia Turkish Municipality and the Gönyeli (Geunyeli) Municipality have started to collaborate with the Health Ministry on the vaccination drive.
- Patients unable to find medication – The global export ban on rheumatism medication “Plaquenil” and blood thinner “Clexane,” which are both used in coronavirus treatment, has also caused problems in our country.
Atmosphere of panic
Schools located between Çatalköy (Agios Epiktitos) and Karşıyaka (Vasilia) will not open; cafes, bars, restaurants, betting offices, barbershops and hairdressers in Alsancak (Karavas) and Lapta (Lapithos) will shut down. Businesses in other areas will continue to be allowed to operate until 10pm. The Council of Ministers will evaluate whether or not to extend the current partial night-time curfew which expires tomorrow.
- He stands by the people – Anastasiades announced that €3bn was being put aside for low-income families which require economic assistance.
Everywhere is pitch black but casinos all lit up
It is proven once again that the casinos are the real bosses of the TRNC. The new decisions adopted by the Health Ministry Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases caused disappointment again… All entertainment venues, bars and cafes are closed but the casinos are favoured and kept open…
Main News
Tatar discusses vaccines & Hellim (Halloumi) with EU official
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar on Saturday said another 1,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines allocated for the Turkish Cypriot community will be delivered on Thursday, January 28.
Tatar held a videoconference meeting with Mario Nava, Director-General of the Structural Reform Support Office, discussing a wide array of issues, including the upcoming 5+1 informal meeting.
Tatar reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s position on the issue of hydrocarbons which supports the idea of the equitable sharing of discovered resources. He also conveyed the Turkish Cypriot side’s desire for the process of registering Hellim (Halloumi) as a Product of Designated Origin (PDO) to be carried out simultaneously with arrangements that will allow its export through the Green Line Regulation and directly to the EU.
Tatar thanked the EU officials for the first batch of coronavirus vaccines delivered on Monday, January 15. He also inquired as to when more vaccines would be delivered from the EU. Tatar said he looked forward to meeting with Nava and the accompanying EU delegation during their visit to the island in February.
Nava for his part said that the EU will continue to send vaccine shipments to the north gradually, noting that the next shipment of 1,000 doses will be delivered on January 28.
Analyst: Highly unlikely two-state solution will be negotiated
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The Turkish Cypriot side’ argument in favour of a two-state solution will go no further than being a statement, Professor Dr Ahmet Sözen said in an interview with Yenidüzen on Sunday.
The head of the Department of International Relations and Political Science at Famagusta’s Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) said he did not believe that either the Greek Cypriot side or the EU or Turkey’s traditional allies such as the US would support a two-state solution in Cyprus.
“That is why I think the idea of a two-state solution will not go any further than being a statement made by the Turkish Cypriot side,” Sözen said, arguing that this was part of a strategy to exert pressure on the Greek Cypriot side.
He expressed the view that any new negotiations will be based on a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution, which was the second preference of both sides. Sözen also that the current position adopted by the Turkish Cypriot side in favour of a two-state solution was neither rational nor logical.
“When you start advocating for a two-state solution, this means that you approve of the possible division of a country, the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of which you previously agreed to safeguard or guarantee. Therefore, the policy which is put forward now sets a precedent and could backfire for Turkey. Turkey’s one of the biggest problems today is the Kurdish issue […] What if international actors propose a two-state solution for the Kurdish issue? What would Turkey say to that?” he said.
Inoculation drive continues with 1,170 Pfizer doses on their way
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Internal security
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli on Saturday announced that the second batch of 1,170 doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccines will be delivered next week.
Pilli’s announcement came shortly after Ersin Tatar spoke with the EU’s Director-General of the Structural Reform Support Office Mario Nava on Saturday.
In a written statement, Pilli said that they would resume vaccinations after receiving confirmation from both Turkey and the EU that more doses will be arriving in the coming days.
Vaccinations stopped on Friday after half of the vaccines delivered from both Turkey and the EU had been administered. With no information as to when more would arrive, health authorities had suspended vaccinations, reserving what was left for second doses.
The health ministry also came under a barrage of criticism following reports that hundreds of elderly people who were called to vaccination centers were forced to return home without getting vaccinated either because the authorities had run out of vaccines or because the process was just taking too long, mainly due to bad planning and staff shortages.
Pilli also announced on Saturday that the 1,080 doses of Pfizer vaccines received from the EU had been administered to people aged 65 and above. Responding to criticism, he also noted that the health ministry had made arrangements to vaccinate people aged 80 and above at their homes.
In the meantime, the Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases on Saturday adopted new measures in an attempt to contain the spread of local cases, particularly in the Kyrenia area.
While deciding to keep all schools and education centres in Kyrenia and the wider area between Çatalköy (Agios Epiktitos) and Karşıyaka (Vasilia) closed until further notice, the committee said that schools in other districts could resume in-class education as of January 25.
It also announced that teachers and pupils who reside in Kyrenia or the wider Kyrenia area but teach or study in Nicosia or other areas will not be allowed to return to schools.
This decision was ridiculed by the public on social media, as many questioned why it was dangerous for teachers and pupils to travel to their schools in Nicosia or other areas but not people working in other sectors.
The stricter decisions taken by the committee include the shutting down of leisure, sporting and grooming facilities in Alsancak (Karavas), Karşıyaka (Vasilia) and Lapta (Lapithos) until further notice starting from 5am on Monday, January 25.
In this regard, all entertainment venues, bars, clubs, taverns, cinemas, coffee shops, cafes, betting offices, gyms, massage parlours, internet cafes, barbershops, hairdressers, beauty parlours, tattoo parlours and massage parlours will remain closed. Restaurants, patisseries, and food kiosks will be allowed to resume operations for take-away and delivery services.
The earlier decisions to allow all venues and businesses to remain open until 10pm were extended. The committee also extended the measures regarding the crossings.
All individuals apart from residents of Pile (Pyla), those working with the EU or UN, the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) and UN Peacekeepers will continue to be subject to quarantine upon entry into the TRNC.
Those receiving health treatment in the south are also exempt from quarantine. These individuals and their carers will be required to undergo PCR testing on the 7th and 14th day of their return and to inform the health authorities of their test results. All those exempt will be required to present a negative PCR test carried out in the last 72 hours.
The ruling on the Kato Pyrgos/Liminitis (Yeşilırmak) crossing was also extended with only quarantine exemptions being given for ambulance services.