Front Page Headlines
“We’re cutting down on food to be able to pay the rent”
The other face of the pandemic. Workers and their families who earn daily wages. Many of them lost their jobs following the pandemic that entered our lives last year. A great number have emigrated to Turkey for economic reasons while the remaining are struggling to make ends meet, living in hunger and uncertainty.
- “Vaccination of teachers will not begin before all chronic patients are vaccinated” – Two thousand doses of AstraZeneca arrive.
Funds can be created if there is a will
The pandemic has upset the economic balances. The private sector, which is in an economic deadlock, is trying to survive. Private sector employers stress they will not be able to recover unless proper support schemes are provided. The government on the other hand is saying it just doesn’t have adequate resources. Kıbrıs which examined the budget spending items of the Office of the President, parliament, 11 ministries as well as the 27 representation offices abroad, discovered ₺627m (€73.7m) that could be used as additional funds.
- All the sectors cry out: “We are bankrupt” – There is not a single sector in the country that is not outraged. None of the private sector representatives are pleased with the economic package announced by the government, which they accuse of mismanaging the pandemic process.
Swords are drawn at YDP
Rebirth Party (YDP) MPs Erhan Arıklı and Bertan Zaroğlu, who are both candidates for the upcoming congress in April, are making strong accusations against each other. The fighting started the moment the YDP leader and Famagusta MP Erhan Arıklı and the party’s general secretary and Nicosia MP Zaroğlu announced their candidacies.
- The goal is to return to normal conditions by the spring – Social Democratic Party (TDP) published its comprehensive proposals to mitigate the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
- “The prime minister claims he is the state” – The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman criticised Prime Minister Ersan Saner for attempting to govern the country without the need to consult any institution. He reminded Saner that his government was only a minority government.
- “The decision will be made by the Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases” – Prime Minister Ersan Saner changed his position after his announcement of the government’s plan to lift entry restrictions for people with proof of vaccination as of April 1 sparked strong reactions.
- The virus is weakening – The number of Covid-19 cases displays a decreasing trend globally in the past five weeks.
The loss over two years is ₺334m (€39.4m)
KIB-TEK (Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority) which operates with high costs is selling electricity it produces for ₺1.19 (€0.14 kW per hour) at ₺0.97 (€0.11). The economic loss the authority has incurred as a result of this over the past two years amounts to ₺334m (€39.4m). The President of the Board of Directors Turan Büyükyılmaz, in a letter sent to the Minister of Economy Erhan Arıklı, pointed out that the postponement in a price hike in electricity prices in January will cost the authority an additional ₺22m (€2.6m).
- Full opening on April 1 – South Cyprus will be implementing four different practices for non-EU citizens.
Turkish Cypriots will decide, not you
“This country is ours” platform issued a harsh statement in response to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who said, ‘a Federation is dead.’ KTÖS (Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union) General Secretary Şener Elcil, on behalf of the platform, said that Turkey is once again exploiting the Cyprus problem for domestic politics. Turkish officials and those who have been appointed to leadership positions within the Turkish Cypriot community through interference claim that a federal solution is over. These are part of efforts to run away from negotiations and to reinstate the policy that ‘a non-solution is the solution’.
- The south is partially opening its ports – Flights will not be fully operational as of March 1. Passengers arriving from third countries including the UK will be subjected to mandatory quarantine.
- 2,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines delivered – The vaccines sent by the EU handed over to health ministry officials at the Metehan (Agios Domethios) crossing point.
- Press workers vaccinated – 411 press workers vaccinated at the Journalists’ Association building.
Main News
A new batch of vaccines delivered to the north
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
2,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were handed over to the Turkish Cypriot health officials at the Metehan (Agios Domethios) crossing point on Thursday. The delivery of the vaccines, which were allocated by the EU for the Turkish Cypriot community, was facilitated through the bicommunal technical committee on health.
Cenk Soydan, the co-chair of the technical committee, said the vaccines were earmarked for people aged between 55 and 65, adding that the second doses will also be delivered in the coming weeks. He also said the Turkish Cypriot side is still waiting for the 75,000 rapid tests to be delivered from the EU.
The Turkish Cypriot side has so far received 6,500 doses of vaccines, 4,500 of which are Pfizer BioNTech.
In the meantime, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner was forced to clarify remarks he made the previous day that the north was preparing to lift entry restrictions on everyone with proof of vaccination as of April 1. Saner’s remarks were met with fierce criticism from the public and doctors.
In a written statement, Saner explained that any easing or lifting of restrictions was subject to the approval of the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases. He clarified that what he meant to say was that the government’s plans were based on the health ministry’s target to complete the vaccination drive by the end of March.
Saner added that such easing of entry restrictions would only be possible if the epidemiological situation permitted. Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Pilli on Thursday said that his team was working on speeding up the vaccination process in the country.
“The goal is to reach the highest number of vaccinations possible until April,” Pilli said. Doctors on Wednesday objected to Saner’s announcement, stating that there was not enough scientific evidence concerning the efficacy of the vaccines. Health experts advised against such a move before the majority of the north’s population have been vaccinated.
UBP & CTP stick to their guns on Cyprob
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The top two political parties in the north on Thursday continued to defend their positions regarding the solution of the Cyprus Problem.
While the ruling National Unity Party (UBP) issued a statement aligning its positions with those of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, advocating for a two-state solution, the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) stuck to its guns in favour of a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution.
UBP, referring to the latest remarks made by Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, argued that it was not possible to strike an agreement with the Greek Cypriot mindset, which saw the Turkish Cypriots as a minority on the island.
It said that the UN must acknowledge that any efforts to reach a federal solution from this point onwards will be meaningless and that the parameters for a settlement must be amended to accommodate a two-state solution.
Responding to UBP, CTP’s General Secretary Erdoğan Sorakın stressed the only internationally accepted solution model in Cyprus was a federation based on UN parameters. In a social media post on Thursday, Sorakın also said that the only way to become a reputable authority in the international arena was to conduct politics based on international realities.
He argued that to insist or pursue other unrealistic models will only hurt the Turkish Cypriot community and create more uncertainty. CTP MP Asım Akansoy echoed these views during a TV programme, arguing that it was Tatar himself who was opposed to a settlement on the island.
He pointed out that the international community was not open to any other solution model in Cyprus and that it was important to explain to Ankara the consequences of seeking alternatives. It would be a mistake to abandon the current UN parameters, Akansoy said, arguing that the Turkish Cypriots are now faced with losing all that has been gained in past processes.
Meanwhile, the “This Country is Ours” Platform issued a written statement on Thursday backing CTP. It stated that the most realistic solution on the island was a united federal Cyprus, adding that sincerity and creating areas for mutual collaboration through intercommunal talks would lead to the desired goal.
The platform also criticized Ankara and the current Turkish Cypriot leadership for pursuing a policy in favour of a two-state solution, stating that a federal model was not only approved by the UN, EU and international community but also by a significant portion of the Turkish Cypriot community.
It argued that the Greek Cypriot leadership’s negative stance was not a reason to abandon the federation model. The platform also expressed its opposition over remarks made by Ankara and Tatar that the federation model was dead.
“The Cyprus Problem is being used by Ankara for domestic politics. Furthermore, such claims are part of an effort to run away from negotiations and to reinstate the policy that a non-solution is a solution,” the Platform concluded.
KEY ACTORS
UBP
>> Not possible to achieve a federal solution with GC side.
>> UN must acknowledge that it will be meaningless to launch new federation talks & should amend parameters to accommodate a two-state solution.
CTP
>> BBF only internationally acceptable solution model in Cyprus.
>> Seeking alternative solution models will have serious consequences for the TCC.
>> Important to explain to Ankara the consequences of seeking alternatives.
>> TC community faced with the risk of losing former gains.
‘This Country is Ours Platform’
>> GC side’s negative stance, not a reason to abandon the federation model.
>> Arguments against a federal solution aimed at running away from talks & reinstating the non-solution policy.
TDP proposes package to help pandemic-stricken economy recover
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Economy
OVERVIEW
The Social Democratic Party (TDP) on Thursday made public a 54-point comprehensive package aimed at mitigating the economic problems caused by the pandemic lockdown and to reinstate socio-economic life back to normal by the spring.
TDP organised its proposals under the headings for measures for: micro and small enterprises; small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); social security and labour force; public sector; banks; higher-income groups; taxation and health.
TDP also noted that the ₺1500 (€175) salary support scheme fell short in providing any true relief to private sector employees.
On health, the TDP highlighted the need to speed up the vaccination drive. The party also recommended strengthening the contact tracing team as well as the general health infrastructure to contain the spread of the virus.
Regarding proposals for the economy, TDP said a crisis desk that will include all the political parties, stakeholders and experts should be set up. The creation of an effective mechanism that will allow the collection of taxes on time is also being proposed.
TDP reminded that there was still ₺500m (€58.8m) in uncollected taxes, dating back to the previous year. To further increase the availability of funds, TDP also suggested slashing a certain percentage from public sector salaries that are over ₺7,500 (€882). In addition to the proposal on cutting a certain percentage off the salaries of civil servants, TDP proposed the introduction of a wealth tax for higher-income groups.
The party also objected to the decision by the education ministry to pay the quarantine costs for the university students returning to complete their studies, suggesting that the privately-owned universities and dormitory operators should contribute to the costs.
Other proposals include raising taxes on hotels and creating an IT infrastructure that will allow the state to monitor and tax casinos over the amount of money that is being gambled.
TDP also recommends that Turkish Cypriot officials launch an initiative with the EU for the north’s access to EU solidarity funds (EUSF) created by the bloc for member states to assist in their fight against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Yenidüzen reported on Friday that the economic organisations’ platform consisting of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO), Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO), Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors’ Association (KTMB) and Turkish Cypriot Hoteliers’ Association (KTHB) will be travelling to Ankara on Tuesday to meet with Turkish VP Fuat Oktay.
The paper, citing credible sources, reported that the meeting will be on the economy and the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.