TCC Press Review 13 Feb 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

There is a ₺400m-430m (€46.9m-50.4m) budget deficit

Finance Minister Dursun Oğuz shared this month’s revenues-expenditures table with Yenidüzen. He said that the state had collected no revenues over the past week due to the lockdown. Oğuz added that a ₺400m-430m (€47.1m-50.6m) deficit has emerged in the state budget and that the Council of Ministers was getting ready to take out a ₺500m (₺58.6m) loan to overcome what he described as the most difficult financial situation the country was experiencing in years.

  • Dr Esen Aşardağ: We need more screening. We’ve passed Turkey and South Cyprus when it comes to the transmission ratio.

Kıbrıs

There could be a gradual easing of restrictions

The ‘full lockdown’ decision adopted on February 5 by the Council of Ministers based on the recommendations made by the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases expires on February 15. Prime Minister Ersan Saner shared his opinion, saying: “The committee evaluates the developments from the health perspective, whereas we (the cabinet) evaluate the situation from a general perspective which includes the economy.”

  • There will be no in-class education at schools until everyone is vaccinated – Education Minister Olgun Amcaoğlu said.
  • The second round of vaccinations begins – The second doses of the Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are being administered. People are required to go to the vaccination centres on the dates written on their vaccination cards for their second jabs.
  • “Thousands of people need support” – Mukhtars said those who have become unemployed due to the lockdown and who get by on daily wages are in severe economic difficulty, adding they are waiting for the economic support package.

Diyalog

Vault emptied out

Finance Minister Dursun Oğuz said the state did not collect a single kuruş (cent) in the last week, adding there was a need for ₺400m (€47.1m) to be able to pay public sector salaries by the end of the month. He said the state has no choice but to take out a loan but there was a limit as to how much money the state could borrow. 

  • All eyes on the government –The Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases has proposed to the Council of Ministers to extend the total lockdown which ends on February 15.

Avrupa

The AKP now lays its eyes on Cyprus

They cleared out Turkey selling everything to foreigners. Now the turn has come to Cyprus. KTOEÖS (Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers’ Union) General Secretary Selma Eylem pointed out that not enough funds are being allocated to education and health. She claims that plans were being made to hand over health and education to private companies, foundations or religious cults which support the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

  • No education until all are vaccinated – Education Minister Olgun Amcaoğlu said in-class education at primary, secondary schools or in higher education will not resume until all teachers, school staff and school bus drivers are vaccinated. He said 20,500 people need to be vaccinated in the primary and secondary education sector in addition to 10,000 teachers.
  • Saner: If anything, I will let you know – Ersan Saner, who described reports that he was replacing Health Minister Ali Pilli as ‘speculative news’, said he would not hesitate to inform the public if such a decision was to be taken.
  • 113 positive coronavirus cases and one death in the south, 40 cases in the north…

Main News

Nami: Two-state solution wishful thinking, not a paradigm change

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

The debate on the two-state solution model continued to occupy the political agenda in the north on Friday as Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP and former negotiator Özdil Nami reminded that the UN’s position in favour of a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution has not changed.

He said a federal settlement was still a UN parameter, describing the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s rhetoric on a two-state solution as nothing more than wishful thinking.

Speaking during a HaberKıbrıs web TV programme, Nami explained that it will only be possible to speak about a change in the parameters of a solution if such a proposal is officially submitted and accepted by the UN. Something, he added, which has not happened.

Furthermore, Nami argued that such a change would require a UN Security Council (UNSC) decision approved by the five permanent members. He ruled out the possibility that the Turkish Cypriot side’s insistence on a two-state solution was part of a political manoeuvre, stating that it was highly unlikely such a strategy would work on the Greek Cypriot side which has already stated it will only negotiate a federal settlement.

Nami said that tabling a two-state solution could only become a realistic option if the Greek Cypriot community would openly express its opposition to sharing power and wealth with Turkish Cypriots. The former negotiator reminded that previous efforts by the Turkish Cypriot leadership to seek support for such a solution model had failed.

Also commenting on the issue on Friday was the leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay who claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side’s position regarding a two-state solution was not clear or substantiated.

In a post on social media, Özersay said that pushing for a two-state solution with Turkey’s support was not a realistic approach. “If the goal is for a negotiated partition, then it is necessary to be straight and direct with the Greek Cypriot side,” he said.

He added that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar needed to calculate what he expects to receive and return in the event of such a solution.

Özersay noted the “two-state approach” is dismissive of the concept for a new partnership in Cyprus, adding that it is very unlikely that either the Greek Cypriot side or the international community will accept such a model. “Not only it is unlikely, but the concessions you will be asked in return would be greater,” Özersay said.

However, the HP leader also expressed his view that reaching a federal solution on the island will be very difficult because of the Greek Cypriot side’s reluctance to share power and wealth with the Turkish Cypriots. He argued that the best partnership model would be one based on collaboration between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Tatar’s spokeswoman Berna Çelik Doğruyol claimed on Friday that the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres was prepared and willing to listen to the Turkish Cypriot side’s position in favour of a two-state solution at the upcoming informal meeting.

Speaking on a programme on Ada TV, she claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side had been given affirmation that necessary amendments would be made to UNSC resolutions should the two sides agree. Doğruyol recalled that eight solution plans for a federal settlement have been rejected by the Greek Cypriot side to date.

Referring to the latest UNSC resolution, Doğruyol pointed out that the UNSG stated that the status quo was no longer sustainable and that the two communities were growing further apart. “All these indicate to us that the informal summit is open to surprising developments,” Doğruyol argued.

KEY ACTORS
Nami (CTP)
>> UN’s position remains to be in favour of a BBF solution.
>> Change in UN parameters only possible with the approval of UNSC which is very unlikely.
>> Two-state solution only realistic if GCC openly states it opposes sharing power & wealth with TCC.

Özersay (HP)
>> TC side’s position in favour of a two-state solution is not clear or substantiated.
>> TC side needs to be straight with GC if its desires negotiated partition.
>> Highly unlikely two-state solution will be accepted by GCC or the international community.
>> Concessions for two-state model will be greater than a partnership solution based on collaboration.

Tatar
>> UNSG prepared to listen to TC side’s position for a two-state solution.
>> TC side was given affirmation that UNSC resolutions can change if both sides agree.
>> Informal summit is open to surprising developments.


Ankara reiterates the need for two-state solution

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Turkish Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın on Friday reiterated Ankara’s position in favour of a two-state solution, arguing that any new talks should be on this basis.

Speaking during a TV programme, Kalın said the decades of talks held for a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution had failed to yield the desired outcome due to the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to accept Turkish Cypriots’ political equality.

Referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest remarks on a two-state solution, he said Ankara has been advocating such a solution model during its talks with its European, US and other counterparts for some time now.

Asked to comment on Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ statement given during his visit to south Cyprus, Kalın said his statement was provocative and in no way contributed to the efforts in the peace process. Kalın reminded that the Turkish army is in Cyprus as a “guarantor of peace and stability” with rights emanating from international treaties. He added, Turkey will continue to safeguard Turkish Cypriots’ safety.

KEY ACTORS
Kalın (Turkey)
>> Turkey advocating for a two-solution with international counterparts for some time now.
>> Greek PM’s latest remarks provocative & do not contribute to efforts in the peace process.


Conservation works at the Agios Artemon Church completed

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Human Rights

OVERVIEW

The Turkish Cypriot co-chair of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage Ali Tuncay on Friday announced that conservation works at Gaziköy’s (Afanteia) Agios Artemon Church dating back to the island’s Latin period, has been completed.

In a social media post, Tuncay thanked everyone who took part in the project. He also announced that the experts working on the conservation project discovered and revealed wall writings in Arabic to mark the visit of a Maronite priest from Lebanon dating back to the 19th century, in addition to some archaeological findings.

The technical committee carried out the conversation works at the Agios Artemon Church with technical support from UNDP and funding from the EU. As part of the conservation works, the technical committee team cleared the site of shrubbery and strengthened the structures.


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