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Hope for restarting crossings
While casinos are expected to return to business with the partial launch of tourism activities, eyes have now turned to the crossings between north and south. Crossings across the divide have literally stopped for more than a year because of the pandemic. The public wants steps to be taken not only for the economy but for relations between the two communities.
- “Diplomacy and efforts needed to acquire more vaccines” –Turkish Cypriot Prof. Dr Erol Baysal evaluates the situation to Yenidüzen.
Farmers are outraged
Turkish Cypriot Farmers’ Association staged a surprise protest yesterday demanding an increase in state subsidies for the agriculture sector. The farmers turned up outside the prime minister’s office with their tractors.
- The cost of a mid-term election is nearly ₺10m (€1m) – The legal deadline to fill the seat vacated in the parliament following Ersin Tatar’s election as president is expiring. National Unity Party (UBP) General Secretary Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu said “It will not be right to take the people to ballot boxes to elect only one MP.”
- Prime Minister Ersan Saner: We will discuss the date for an early election with coalition members.
Five thousand businesses closed, 50,000 left unemployed
Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Artisans and Shopkeepers (KTEZO) has decided to take action against the government for the suffering and inequality that is taking place because of the pandemic. KTEZO will start by filing a lawsuit against the government. They will also change their “Open” or “Closed” signs on shop windows, replacing them with signs with “Open despite the government” or “Closed but will reopen despite the government” written on them.
- Özersay’s boost on the issue of the crossings – People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay’s proposal on “allowing daily crossings” is being realised.
- Farmers threaten to drive 1000 farming vehicles to Nicosia – The Turkish Cypriot Farmers’ Association, who reacted against the government’s refusal to increase the state subsidies, held a meeting with the prime minister and issued a warning.
- The coalition partners’ agenda is identifying a date for an election – Prime Minister Ersan Saner, who had been taken aback with reminders from the Supreme Court, is gradually taking the early election date into his agenda.
Shock protest
Farmers who are unable to sell their produce or receive subsidies from the government parked their tractors in front of the Prime Minister’s office and parliament. The farmers, whose economic woes are growing, staged a shocking protest. The demonstration was held under strict police presence. Prime Minister Ersan Saner later met with the head of the Farmers’ Union Hüseyin Kelle.
Federal explosion on social media
While Ersin Tatar is preparing to table the “two-state” model in Geneva with the support of Turkey, social media is being dominated with posts for a “United Federal Cyprus.” People have updated their profile pictures with a “United Federal Cyprus” frame. It was announced 1700 people changed their profiles in the last 24 hours.
- Gone from one door to another – The farmers demanded state subsidies equal to those given in the south…Unlike the past, the farmers did not hang Turkish or TRNC flags on their tractors or vehicles as they do normally during such protests.
- A surge in cases… 82 positive coronavirus cases and one death in the north and 619 cases and one death in the south…
Main News
The 5+1 will go ahead in person, UN Spokesman says
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
UN Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the five-plus-one meeting will go ahead in person despite the pandemic. Dujarric, during the Q&A session following his daily noon briefing on Monday, added that there will also be pandemic rules in place in Geneva.
The spokesman also noted that Special Envoy Jane Holl Lute has already shared the programme with the two Cypriot leaders during her visit to the island on April 10, 2021.
Dujarric expressed gratitude to the Swiss authorities for their support in allowing the UN to host the meeting at the UN premises. The meeting will take place from April 27 to 29, Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot dailies report that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will carry out a working trip to the north in preparation of the upcoming five-plus-one meeting. Çavuşoğlu will be received by Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar on Thursday.
The two-state model is a win-win model for all parties
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Tuesday argued that the two-state solution based on sovereign equality is the only win-win model for all relevant parties on the island and the region.
Speaking with a group of Turkish Cypriots in Australia via video conference on Tuesday, Tatar reiterated that he will table the Turkish Cypriot side’s position, which is fully backed by Turkey, during the upcoming five-plus-one meeting in Geneva.
He also argued that the federal talks to date have failed due to the Greek Cypriot side’s lack of desire to share governance and wealth with the Turkish Cypriots. “Turkish Cypriots are as sovereign as the Greek Cypriots on the island,” Tatar stressed, arguing that the Turkish Cypriot community also has the right to exercise self-determination.
In the meantime, Tatar during a meeting on Tuesday with Hakan Oran, the head of Lefke (Lefka) Development Association, claimed that the concept of single sovereignty, which is a component of a federal settlement, posed a serious threat for the Turkish Cypriot community. He said the Greek Cypriot side, which is dominant, would exert its authority into the north should single sovereignty be accepted.
“The solution model based on sovereign equality would remove such a threat,” Tatar argued, adding that the Turkish Cypriots will defend their state.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> A two-state solution is the only win-win model for Cyprus & the region.
>> TCs are as sovereign as GCs & have a right to exercise self-determination.
>> Concept of single sovereignty poses a threat to TCs. It will allow GCs to exert authority over TCs in the event of a federal settlement.
Hopes vested in the normalisation of crossings
Yenidüzen
CBMs
OVERVIEW
News that the two sides have launched work for the normalisation of crossings, which have been limited over the past year due to the pandemic, has raised the hopes of many, both in terms of the economy as well as inter-communal relations. Relevant stakeholders spoke to Yenidüzen just as the Turkish Cypriot authorities are initiating a partial resumption of tourism activities through a closed-circuit system whereby guests will be monitored through electronic bracelets and not leave their hotels.
Representatives of the various economic sectors who want the crossings to return to pre-pandemic conditions are urging the authorities to spend as much effort as they have on implementing the ‘closed-circuit’ tourism model on normalising crossings.
The head of the Turkish Cypriot Hoteliers’ Association (KTOB), Dimağ Çağıner said normalising crossings and lifting restrictions will have a significant benefit for the Turkish Cypriot economy particularly because of the high value of the Euro against the Turkish Lira.
He also said the health authorities across the divide could identify the necessary criteria for crossings. Çağıner, who is also a member of the bicommunal technical committee on economic affairs, urged for swift decisions to be adopted.
Turgay Deniz, head of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO), also echoed Çağıner’s view, saying the crossings must be reopened immediately.
“Not only will the normalisation of the crossings will contribute to the economy of both sides but will help improve the relationship between the two communities,” Deniz said. He said the checkpoints could be opened for daily crossings and controls could be carried out with PCR or rapid tests.
Mahmut Kanber, head of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Artisans and Shopkeepers (KTEZO) described the crossings as means for a bicommunal life in Cyprus. He too urged the authorities to open them immediately, pointing out that the normalisation of crossings would significantly bring relief to retailers and shopkeepers in downtown Nicosia which previously relied on daily crossings. “The north is cheaper by nine times compared to the south,” Kanber said, adding that the north could not capitalize on the favourable exchange rate.
Also speaking to Yenidüzen, Tourism Minister Fikri Ataoğlu said his ministry had put forward a proposal to the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases to allow tourists, who had received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines to be allowed to cross over the north as of May without the need for quarantine.
However, health professionals are adopting a more cautious approach. Dr Özlem Gürkut, head of the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB), says she believes that the restrictions on the crossings must remain in place for a little longer.
“If we have limitations on arrivals from Turkey, we must also have limitations on arrivals from the south as well,” Gürkut said, adding that the infection rate in the south is higher than in the north.
Presenting a different view, Dr Ahmet Varış, head of TIP-İŞ (Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Union) said that crossings should be regulated by considering the risk categories as is the case in other parts of the world.
Citing Greek Cypriot media outlets, Yenidüzen also reported that the Greek Cypriot chair of the bicommunal technical committee on health, Leonidas Phylactou said meetings are being held on the issue with the participation of experts from both sides in view of introducing epidemiological criteria that would allow the reopening of crossings.
“We have brought in experts from both sides so that we can see if there are common criteria that allow the gradual opening of the crossing points,” he said, noting that this is not a roadmap with dates, since it all depends on epidemiological data.
Support for United Federal Cyprus on social media
Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
As the date for the five-plus-one Cyprus conference approaches, supporters of a solution and a federal settlement have stepped up their campaign in response to the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s position in favour of a two-state solution. Around two thousand people updated their Facebook profiles in the last 24 hours, with a “United Federal Cyprus” themed frame.
Moreover, Avrupa also reported that some users have also changed their profile photographs to those of the two Cypriot leaders – Nicos Anastasiades and Ersin Tatar with the same “United Federal Cyprus” themed frame, expressing their irony through social media.