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“Many cases but few people require hospital treatment”
The latest surge in case numbers had raised concerns on whether the health system can cope. The doctor in charge of the pandemic hospital Dr Erol Uçaner said that the health services were coping well as very few of the cases required hospital treatment. “Most don’t have symptoms. We will experience problems if the hospital fills up,” he said.
- What is happening with the vaccines? – What has happened to the 4,680 Pfizer/BionTech and 4,800 AstraZeneca doses of Covid-19 vaccines? What happened to the vaccines which were due to arrive from Turkey last Thursday?
It will be very difficult to return to the past
Our country experienced one of the worst forest fires on May 17, 2020. We were devastated as the flames ripped through the forest in Tepebaşı (Diorios) and Kalkanlı (Kalochorio). A total of 84,367 saplings and 280,000 trees were burnt to the ground. The trees charred by the fire are being sold as firewood today.
- Two-times the minimum wage – Violating the home isolation is a punishable offence with a monetary fine up to two times the minimum wage. The parliamentary sub-committee on health has approved the amendments to the “Infectious Diseases law,” increasing the fines to be given to those violating the quarantine rules. The amendments will be discussed during today’s parliamentary plenary.
Spiral of debts
Small and medium sizes enterprises, which are considered the heart of the economy, are going bankrupt one after the other. Those who are still open, are being crushed under the burden of debts. The people on the other hand, are struggling to pay back bank loans and credit card bills. 5,600 businesses closed due to economic reasons in one year from March 2020 to March 2021. The economic crisis left 55,000 people unemployed.
- “He is not even aware of the daily work carried out in parliament” – Deputy Prime Minister Erhan Arıklı claimed it has not been possible to pass laws in the parliament because the opposition is obstructing the work at the parliamentary sub-committees. People’s Party (HP) MPs Kudret Özersay and Tolga Atakan in separate statements lashed out at Arıklı, saying “We are working in the parliamentary sub-committee with your bureaucrats, but you are not even aware of it!”
- First after 50 years – It snowed in Trodos in April. Some of the roads were closed and many cars were stranded.
The goal is to lift most restrictions by June
Health Minister Ünal Üstel discussed the closed-circuit tourism plan set to start on April 12 with heads of economic organisations. The sector representatives said the meeting was extremely productive. Üstel said that the goal was to lift most restrictions by June depending on how the pandemic progresses.
Step by step towards annexation
Mustafa Akıncı drew attention to the serious threat at our doorstep. Pointing out the recent unprecedented interference of Turkey, Akıncı said: “Never has North seen so much interference from Turkey. These are strong indicators…I doubt annexation will take place in today’s political conjecture, but we are heading towards that direction step by step.”
- A new wave – Former chief physician at the State Hospital, Dr Bülent Dizdarlı warned that a new wave of Covid-19 is threatening the community. Dizdalı said the course of the mutated variant of the coronavirus is uncertain and added that “Turkey has been hit by a tsunami in this new wave and this is what matters the most to us.”
- 431 cases of positive coronavirus cases in the south, 45 in the north.
Main News
Akıncı: “Two-state solution is a step towards annexation”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı on Saturday warned that the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s current position in favour of a two-state solution was not a means to an end but a stepping stone for the north’s annexation by Turkey.
Speaking during an interview with SİM TV, Akıncı said that all indicators of Turkey’s plan to eventually annex the north were there. He argued that while it might not be possible to achieve annexation soon, the changes in the north’s demographic structure and growing dependency on Turkey financially and economically will eventually bring Turkish Cypriots to that point.
Akıncı added that political parties in Turkey had even started opening up offices in the north, promoting their agendas. He said that the majority of the problems faced by Turkish Cypriots today were due to the absence of a solution.
Regarding the upcoming five-plus-one meeting, the former Turkish Cypriot leader said he did not expect a substantial outcome but warned that the Turkish Cypriot side will be branded as intransigent if it insists on a two-state solution model.
“Anastasiades on the other hand will be very comfortable. The Greek Cypriots will continue their relations with other countries, even indirectly with Turkey while Turkish Cypriots will be forced to observe the developments from afar.
Akıncı, in response to a question whether or not his successor Ersin Tatar had consulted him, said he does not expect Tatar, who did everything to remove him from office, to consult him. Asked if he was invited to the contentious gala event for the TRT drama series “Once Upon a Time Cyprus,” Akıncı said he was not but even if he had been invited, he would not have attended the event either.
KEY ACTORS
Akıncı
>> A two-state solution, not a means to an end but a stepping stone for Turkey’s annexation of the north.
>> Turkey will eventually annex north, all indicators are there.
>> Majority of TCs’ problems are due to the absence of a solution to Cyprob.
>> Nothing expected from the 5+1 meeting but the TC side will be branded intransigent if it insists on a two-state solution.
Ertuğruloğlu intensifies anti-GC rhetoric ahead of 5+1 meeting
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Saturday said that the Turkish Cypriots were not a community under the Greek Cypriot controlled Republic of Cyprus (RoC)
Speaking at a panel organised by the Girne American University, Ertuğruloğlu said a new page will be turned on the Cyprus Problem at the informal five-plus-one conference.
“Make no mistake, this meeting is not a new negotiations process nor is it a meeting to exchange confidence-building measures”, he said, adding that the meeting was only to explore where any ground existed for new talks. Ertuğruloğlu also repeated his view that progress cannot be achieved in any talks as long as one side was treated as a state while the other a community.
He pointed out that Turkish Cypriots were tired and fed up with taking part in processes after processes on an unequal footing for the past 50 years. “The international community must come to terms with the fact that the 1960 RoC no longer exists, that there is only a Greek Cypriot state, and that Turkish Cypriots have their sovereign state and their democracy,” Ertuğruloğlu added.
Regarding his expectations from the five-plus-one summit, Ertuğruloğlu said he predicts attempts will be made at the meeting to reach some form of understanding and to dissuade the Turkish Cypriot side from its position in favour of a two-state solution.
He said that the Turkish Cypriot side will not be bullied into feeling guilty or be patronized.“A partnership with Greek Cypriots is not our only option,” Ertuğruloğlu added.
He said that the collapse of the 1960 RoC was proof that a federal partnership based on power-sharing with Greek Cypriots is not possible.
On the EU’s insistence to participate at the 5+1 meeting, the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said the EU cannot sit at the table as long as the Turkish Cypriot side does not give its consent. He added that there was no room or need for the EU to be at the table at this stage.
KEY ACTORS
Ertuğruloğlu (UBP)
>> TCs not a community under GC controlled RoC.
>> 5+1 is not a negotiation nor a meeting for CBMs, just to explore whether a ground exists for talks.
>> Progress cannot be achieved on Cyprob as long as one side is treated as a state & the other a community.
>> Attempts will be made at 5+1 to dissuade the TC side from its position in favour of two states.
>> A partnership with GCs, not TCs’ only option.
>> EU cannot attend 5+1 without consent of TC side.
Saner slams Anastasiades over EOKA comments
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner on Sunday was the latest to lash out at the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades over his comments honouring EOKA fighters.
The Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar had also critisized Anastasiades on Saturday with a written statement
“Mr Anastasiades’ mindset is not only unacceptable but also shows that it will not be possible to achieve anything of substance during the Geneva conference,” Saner argued, adding that it has become clear that the Greek Cypriot side will never accept the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereignty or political equality.
Saner argued that the Greek Cypriot side under the cloak of the EU acquis and principles wants to put an end to the presence of the Turkish troops on the island and to annul Turkey’s guarantees to make Cyprus a Hellen island.
“The realities on the island have shown that the right way is to protect our state and our sovereignty and continue on our way with Turkey,” Saner said, adding that the federal talks are nothing but a waste of time due to the Greek Cypriot side’s mindset.