Front Page Headlines
One barricade, two hearts
Greek Cypriot Georgia Fota and Turkish national Arda Serintürk who have been unable to make their relationship official for the past four years, are unable to get married because of ‘diplomacy.’ Georgia and Arda who spoke to Yenidüzen complained about diplomacy. “Love is not something that can be found in your own country. There is no need to speak the same language. Love recognizes no religion or language,” they said.
Foreign students waiting for support
Students from other countries who had come to our to study are experiencing great hardships because of the pandemic. The head of the Voices of the International Students in Cyprus (VOIS) Ashraf Saleem said the international students have to struggle with economic, psychological, physical and language problems.
‘Everything is extremely expensive’
We are finding it extremely difficult to provide for our children who are the future. Prices of goods in North Cyprus, particularly imported items, continue to increase. Prices of baby formula and diapers are among the items which go up most frequently. Families experience great difficulties meeting their needs.
- ‘Contribution to peace great’ – Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman said, “Everyone in Cyprus, from those on the right to those on the left, want a solution.”
Ban on banners at the event
“This Country is Ours Platform” pre-identified what will be written on banners and which slogans to be chanted at the event which will be held today. They also prohibited participants from using their banners. The Platform’s decision caused reactions by some. The Speaker of the Revolutionary Communist Union (DKB) Yusuf Alkım harshly criticized the Platform for its attempts to restrict people from chanting their slogans. The Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) announced on social media they were withdrawing their support to the march for federation. Instead, they will attend the march on their own. Activist Halil Karapaşaoğlu said, “My country is under occupation…We have an event against it but we are not allowed to chant a slogan that contains the word occupation. We are being censored by our comrades. We have been ripped off our freedom of expression. Unconditional freedom for peace! No to occupation for peace!”
- 59 years have passed – 59 years ago on the eve of April 23, Ayhan Hikmet and Ahmet Gürkan were shot dead by TMT (Turkish Cypriot Resistance Force) because they were going to announce the masterminds being the bomb attacks on the Bayraktar and Ömeriye mosques.
- 70 locally transmitted, 93 coronavirus cases in the north, 889 cases and one death in the south…
Main News
Tatar to the EU: Keep your promises made in 2004
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog
Negotiations Process, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Friday called on the EU to keep its promises made to the Turkish Cypriot community.
In a statement issued on the 17th anniversary of the referendum held on the Annan Plan, Tatar said that Turkish Cypriots continued to be punished with embargoes and isolation despite voting in favour of the plan whilst the Greek Cypriot side, which rejected the plan enjoyed the perks of international recognition.
He said the EU’s failure to keep its promises was forcing Turkish Cypriots to accept a minority status under a Greek Cypriot controlled state. Tatar urged the EU to stop supporting Greece and the Greek Cypriot side which he said was only serving a non-solution on the island.
“The Greek and Greek Cypriot demands, which are supported by the EU are in no way acceptable,” Tatar stressed, adding that the Turkish Cypriots will never give up on Turkish guarantees on the island.
He argued that the bloc, which is acting as a speaker on behalf of the Greek – Greek Cypriot duo, was trying to impose a federal solution based on single sovereignty and rejecting the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state solution plan. Pointing to the upcoming five-plus-one conference in Geneva, Tatar stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side will not back down from tabling the two-state model based on sovereign equality.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> EU must stop supporting Greece & GC side as this serves non-solution on the island.
>> TC side will never accept giving up Turkey’s guarantees.
>> TC side will not back down from tabling two-state solution.
Erhürman: The two-state solution is not realistic
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman on Friday slammed Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and his policies based on two independent states.
Speaking on Bayrak, the CTP leader said the Turkish Cypriot side had changed its position on the Cyprus Problem, opting for a model which everyone knew will not yield any results. Noting that the status quo is not sustainable any longer, Erhürman said both the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots need a solution on the island.
He said that everyone in Cyprus, no matter what their political views were, desired a solution on the island. “That solution however will not be a two-state solution,” he said, adding that none of the five members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), the EU, Greece or the Greek Cypriot side accepted a settlement based on two states.
Erhgürman also complained that Tatar and his team failed in providing convincing arguments if any on how a two-state solution will be possible or how they will convince all the parties involved to accept such a model.
“In any case, even if a two-state solution was to be accepted it would require negotiations and concessions. I for one am curious to see what kind of concessions Tatar would be ready to make,” he said, reminding that the Turkish Cypriot leader and his supporters had branded his predecessor Mustafa Akıncı as a traitor for proposing territorial concessions during the previous process.
Erhürman said there were also discrepancies in Tatar’s position who argued that the Turkish Cypriot side should be given a share of the island’s hydrocarbon resources even though he advocated for two separate states.
“What the CTP is insisting on is for the resumption of negotiations with a clear timeline and deadline. Should the outcome of the process fail we should then sit down with the UN to discuss the future of the Turkish Cypriot community,” he said. Erhürman also said the idea of a two-state solution model was nothing new and was unsuccessfully raised in the past.
The CTP leader said that Tatar, by insisting on a two-state solution will be playing into Anastasiades’ hand who will use this opportunity to brand the Turkish Cypriot side intransigent while diverting attention away from his intransigence.
In the meantime, support for the “Together for federation” march, which is to be held on Saturday simultaneously on both sides of the divide, is growing. In the north, many organisations and individuals said they will take part in the march despite a 50-person limit introduced to rallies by the government as part of Covid-19 measures.
In separate statements issued by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Artisans and Shopkeepers (KTEZO) and the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Union (TIP-İŞ), Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB), Chamber of Turkish Cypriot Doctors and the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Dentists have also declared support.
Issuing a joint statement, the doctors stressed the goal should be to reach a bicommunal, bizonal federal solution (BBF) based on the political equality of the two communities as defined in relevant UN resolutions as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Turkish Cypriot daily Avrupa reported that the “censorship” imposed by the “This Country is Ours Platform,” which is the organizer of the march, led to reactions from various organisations that initially declared support to the event.
According to the daily, the Revolutionary Communist Union (DKB) and the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) expressed their disapproval of a decision by “This Country is Ours Platform” which is organising the event from deciding on common slogans for the march. While the DKB said it withdrew its support to the march, the KSP said it would be taking part on its terms, using its slogans.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Two-state solution not attainable as none of the other actors accept it.
>> Everyone needs a solution in Cyprus. Everyone in the north, irrelevant of their political views support the solution of Cyprob.
>> Tatar is unable to provide convincing arguments for a two-state solution.
>> Even if a two-state solution is accepted it would require negotiations & concessions.
>> CTP supports the idea of new talks with set deadlines & timetable.
>> TC side insisting on a two-state solution will only result in being branded as intransigent.
The list of parties travelling to Geneva becomes clear
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The list of political parties which will be accompanying Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and his negotiating team to Geneva became clear on Friday. CTP leader Tufan Erhürman and the party’s foreign affairs secretary Fikri Toros will be travelling to Geneva to follow the talks closely.
Speaking during a programme on Bayrak, Erhürman said the CTP will continue to advocate for a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) in Geneva as well. Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit will also be travelling to Geneva, however, he did not give any further details on who will accompany him.
In a social media post on Friday, Özyiğit said the TDP will be in Geneva “continuing its efforts in search of peace based on a federal solution.” Özyiğit stressed the Turkish Cypriots need policies that will integrate them with the world, not alienating them from it.
He also warned Tatar’s policies will harm the Turkish Cypriot community, also adding that the Turkish Cypriot side will be labelled as the intransigent side rejecting a solution on the island. Özyiğit reiterated that the BBF solution is the most realistic option for Cyprus, adding that the negotiations process must be resumed based on the agreements reached in the Berlin trilateral in 2019 and must be in line with the February 11, 2014, Joint Declaration, and the Guterres framework dated June 30, 2017.
Democratic Party (DP) leader Fikri Ataoğlu said he will not attend the Geneva conference, but he will send Atay Ahmet Raşit to represent the party in Geneva.
People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay announced on Friday that he will not be able to accompany the Turkish Cypriot delegation to Geneva because he was self-isolating after coming into close contact with HP MP Erek Çağatay, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Çağatay was supposed to accompany Özersay to Geneva.
Announcing the news on Facebook, Özersay said that despite being unable to travel to Geneva, he and his party had shared their views with Tatar and his negotiating team.
“Even if we will not be attending the conference in Geneva, we see the Cyprus problem as a communal issue therefore even from a distance, we will try to support the process,” Özersay said, expressing his desire “that it will be a successful meeting despite all.” It is believed that National Unity Party (UBP) leader Ersan Saner will also go to Geneva along with Tatar’s team, however, there is no news on whether or not anyone from the Rebirth Party (YDP) will be attending the conference.