Front Page Headlines
164 cases in Famagusta in one month
There has been an alarming increase in Covid-19 cases in Famagusta over the past month with 164 cases recorded. Famagusta Municipality: “The spread of the virus may currently not be among students but the arrival of new students, the reopening of sectors and travel between districts are all factors contributing to the situation. We are approaching the issue seriously from the very beginning, but people are being complacent, and this has contributed to a rise in locally transmitted infections.” Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Rector Aykut Hoacanın: “Where it be the administrative staff or our academic staff, all our staff regularly undergo PCR testing. We have nine students who tested positive for Covid-19 three weeks ago, but we have not seen a spread. Almost everyone tested negative.”
- New Covid-19 decisions – 1: Travel of movement between districts is starting. 2: Culture and art events can be held. 3: Public offices returning to normal working conditions. 4: the 10 pm-5 am night-time curfew is continuing, 5: Bus services between districts is starting.
25,000 dwellings waiting for their customers
The construction sector and nearly 80 sub-sectors that depend on this sector are trying to stay afloat during the pandemic. The suffering of thousands of people working in these sectors is growing each day. Sector representatives say that they aren’t able to sell homes because foreigners are currently not allowed to enter the country. They say “they, the construction sector is in intensive care.”
- Stop this nature catastrophe – The “unlawful” construction work in the area known as the “Old Port” in Yenierenköy (Yialousa) is continuing despite all warnings and protests. Emrah Yeşilırmak, Mayor of Yenierenköy (Yialousa) attempted to stop the firm, which is filling the sea with excavators. The police intervened halting the work.
- Travel between districts permitted – Council of Ministers continue to gradually relax measures. New decisions and measures in view of the coronavirus pandemic were announced.
- Seven police officers in quarantine in Güzelyurt (Morphou) – The PCR tests for two undocumented migrants caught in Gayretköy (Avlona) came back positive.
Restrictions set to continue
The government has decided to extend the night-time curfew until April 12 only including internet cafes to the list of venues that are allowed to operate. Prime Minister Ersan Saner announced that a full-day curfew will be in place tomorrow and next Sunday. Within the framework of the new decisions, internet cafes and libraries will be allowed to open under strict guidelines. Individuals will not be allowed to use a computer for more than two hours. While nothing has been announced concerning tourism, supermarkets will be allowed to open earlier at 7 am and close at 9 pm.
- They are off to a hopeful start – South Cyprus which has opened its doors to tourists from 65 countries received three full planes of Israeli tourists in a single day.
- Another loss of life, 705 cases in South Cyprus, 42 cases in the north
- YDP’s (Rebirth Party) congress moved to April 10. New party leader to be elected.
Beware of the masked one
Standing on his own against the coronavirus. Ersin Tatar watched the first episode of the “Once Upon a Time Cyprus” drama series with Fuat Oktay. He even took a souvenir photo with the artists…As can be seen, Ersin Tatar is the only one wearing a mask. The reactions on adhering to social distancing and face mask rules have obviously worked! However, the reactions to the drama series are growing like an avalanche!
- Travel between the districts is allowed – New Covid-19 measures announced.
- 31 locally transmitted, 42 positive coronavirus cases in the north, 705 cases and one death in the south.
Main News
Turkey given May 14 deadline to submit observations on two properties in Maraş (Varosha)
Yenidüzen
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Maraş (Varosha) is back on the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) agenda. Greek Cypriot lawyer Achilleas Demetriades on Friday said Turkey has been given until May 14 to submit its observations for two property cases, one of which is located within the fenced-off town. Demetriades also said the ECHR rejected his claim that the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) has become an ineffective domestic remedy due to protracted length and ineffectiveness on the proceedings.
Yenidüzen citing Greek Cypriot news reports that Demetriades, who is the lawyer in the “K.V. Mediterranean Tours Limited v. Turkey” and in “Panayi and Shiartou v. Turkey” (near Ercan (Tymbou) airport) cases, said, “both cases are moving on, after Turkey lost pretrial proceedings and is now forced to submit its observations by May 14, 2021.”
Asked to comment on the issue, lawyer Murat Metin Hakkı said he has not yet seen the details of the ECHR decision but recalled that the court has accepted two applications on Maraş (Varosha) as pilot cases.
He added that the K.V. Mediterranean Tours Ltd. had applied to the IPC in 2010 but that the application had been put on hold, prompting the firm to file a case with the ECHR arguing that the IPC was no longer an effective domestic remedy.
“The IPC needs to take tangible steps on Maraş (Varosha) instead of allowing authorities to make empty statements dissuade the ECHR from sanctioning the IPC,” Hakkı concluded. Sources close to IPC speaking to Yenidüzen, refuted the claims made by Demetriades, stating that the ECHR has not asked Turkey to submit anything.
There are 337 applications submitted to the IPC for properties located in Maraş (Varosha), none of which have been processed so far. The total surface area of the applications on the fenced-off town amount to 2,438 dunams (dönüm), which is more than half of Maraş (Varosha) with a 4,638 dunams (dönüm) behind fences.
6,740 applications have been made in total to the IPC to date and more than five thousand of them are yet to be processed. There had been 67 new applications in 2020. 1,245 applications have so far been processed and concluded. The IPC needs £312,118.000 to make the compensation payments.
If the IPC could make the payment, it would have resolved only 1.8 per cent of all property disputes. The IPC has made nearly £200m compensation payments to date.
Nami puts Turkish officials’ sincerity to test
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Economy
OVERVIEW
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Özdil Nami who also served as a former negotiator and economy minister on Friday urged the Turkish authorities to prove their sincerity on their calls for a “self-sufficient TRNC that stands on its own feet.”
Nami was referring to the latest statements made by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay during a visit to Famagusta on Thursday. In a social media post, Nami said if that is the case, the Turkish authorities must agree with the Turkish Cypriot side on four points.
“Turkey must sign at least three agreements with Turkish Cypriot officials,” Nami said, listing these as a functional free trade agreement, the reimbursement of inflation tax under the monetary union and the payment of defence expenses of Turkish forces.
Nami also urged Ankara to “be at equal distance to all the political parties in the north,” asking Turkish officials if they are willing or not to prove their sincerity.
Trilingual library of Cyprus negotiations now online
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
A digital library of the Cyprus negotiations process in three languages published by the Cyprus Dialogue Forum (CDF) is now online, Yenidüzen reported on Saturday.
CDF published a multitude of documents and information on the Cyprus negotiations processes to date in English, Turkish and Greek languages. The library forms part of the “Shared Knowledge Resources of the CDF” to provide a comprehensive source of knowledge on issues that pertain to the official negotiations in Cyprus and support relevant parties in their dialogue at all levels.
The six main chapters of the formal negotiations – Governance & Power Sharing, Territory, Property, Economic Matters, EU Matters, and Security & Guarantees – are the overall arching structure of the library, with an overview of the main issues under each chapter covering the issues tabled in the past processes to the latest and the significant developments from 1930 to 2021.
The library is also supported with the official documents, reports, plans and resolutions published within the scope of the talks.
Ankara condemns celebrations marking the anniversary of EOKA
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Greek Cypriot side for celebrating the 65th anniversary of EOKA, which it claimed was responsible for carrying out atrocities against Turkish Cypriots. Noting that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots consider EOKA as a terrorist organization, the ministry said it has caused irreversible damage to the latter.
The ministry continued by saying that the fact that the Greek Cypriot side commemorates the terrorist group’s foundation by issuing stamps proves that it considers Turkish Cypriots as a minority on the island and continues to ignore their existence.
Meanwhile, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson, Ömer Çelik, also condemned the Greek Cypriot side.
“We condemn the Greek Cypriot administration for producing stamps celebrating the 65th anniversary of EOKA terrorist group. EOKA is an organization that indiscriminately massacred Turkish Cypriots and can only be remembered with a curse,” Çelik said in a message on Twitter Friday.
Çelik continued by saying that the fact that the Greek Cypriot still commemorates EOKA shows its support for the group, which indiscriminately targeted Turkish Cypriots with the goal to completely eliminate them from the island.
“Turkey will forever be the supporter of Turkish Cypriots,” Çelik said, adding that the country has the power to overcome all terrorist organizations and will not let any such group usurp the legitimate rights of the Turkish Cypriots.