TCC Press Review 2 June 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

“They will pay a heavy price”

The Livestock breeders announced they will be intensifying their protests today. The protest being waged in the heart of Nicosia continued yesterday, disrupting traffic in the capital. The head of the Livestock Breeders’ Association Mustafa Naimoğlulları said that they will be stepping up their protests today bringing in more farming vehicles to block the roads.

Kıbrıs

Tense wait

The livestock breeders continue with their protests yesterday to convince the government to agree to their six-point demands. They have turned their eyes to the finance and agriculture ministers and to the meeting to be held at 4 pm today.

  • Probe launched into Kutlu Adalı’s murder in Turkey – Prosecutor’s office in Istanbul announced it launched an investigation (on the murder) based on Atilla Peker’s testimony.
  • 80 per cent of the retailers debt-crippled – More than 5,000 retailers closed their businesses during the pandemic period whereas those who are trying to survive could not recover from the economic woes.

Havadis

Hope for Adalı

Competent authorities in Turkey finally took action. Prosecutor’s office in Istanbul announced it has launched an investigation into Kutlu Adalı’s murder.

  • The protest ties up traffic outside the parliament The second day in the livestock breeders’ protest is over. The farmers who parked their tractors and other agricultural vehicles outside the parliament building paralysed traffic.

Diyalog

A hope arises

The prosecutor’s office in Turkey has launched an investigation into Kutlu Adalı’s murder. While TRNC officials continue to maintain their silence over the issue, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into allegations made by convicted gang leader Sedat Peker regarding the murder of Kutlu Adalı. The news stirred a commotion in the TRNC. Peoples’ Party leader Kudret Özersay said his party will continue to follow developments closely.

  • Now we are relieved –The World Health Organisation approved the ‘Sinovac’ vaccine.
  • Support will be given –The Chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) Turgay Deniz said they received a positive response from Borell on the issue of vaccines.
  • (Vaccination) drive successful – More than half of South Cyprus vaccinated.

Avrupa

You will be defeated by this camera

Prosecutor’s office in Turkey launched an investigation on the Kutlu Adalı’s murder and called Sedat Peker’s brother Atilla Peker to the prosecutor’s office…Sedat Peker again defied (the authorities) in his tweet. While Ersan Saner continues to say, ‘these are only claims,’ Turkey, which is suffering from a battered justice system, accepted Peker’s testimony important and decided to uncover the Kutlu Adalı’s murder.

  • Nicosia’s traffic is paralysed The livestock breeders continue with their protest.

Main News

Erdoğan criticizes EU’s stance on Cyprob

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday said that none of the EU member countries was well informed on the Cyprus Issue and the history of the negotiations process.

He also complained that the EU was constantly placing Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean as an obstacle before Ankara and its bid to join the bloc. In a late-night interview with Turkish state television TRT, Erdoğan said that the EU was neither sincere nor honest when it came to the Turkish Cypriots.

Pointing out he was the only leader who had witnessed first-hand the 2004 Annan Plan process, the Turkish president reminded that the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had prevented the Greeks and Greek Cypriots from leaving the negotiating table because he told them he had promised Turkey that they would continue talking until an agreement was reached.

“Following those meetings we had the referendum. The north approved the plan while the Greek Cypriots rejected it. Then what happened? They allowed the Greek Cypriots to join the bloc. They are not sincere, they are not honest,” Erdoğan said.

He reminded that the EU failed to honour any of its financial promises to the Turkish Cypriots. “Now they shamelessly question whether or not we have rights over hydrocarbon resources surrounding the island,” Erdoğan said.

KEY ACTORS
Erdoğan (Turkey)
>> EU member countries not informed well enough on Cyprob.
>> EU not sincere or honest, constantly creating obstacles for Turkey.


Reopening of the crossings is vital, says KTTO chairman

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
CBMs, Economy

OVERVIEW

Turgay Deniz, head of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) on Tuesday said the reopening of the crossing points was vital and that the authorities should open them without further delay.

Speaking during a programme on TV2020, Deniz said the economy will be revived with the opening of the crossings. He said the number of crossings had reached nearly four million in the days before the pandemic whilst the number of tourists arriving in the north at best did not exceed 1.2m figure.

“The closure of the crossings at the pandemic period was a serious loss for the shopkeepers,” Deniz said, adding that the unemployment figures in the north also rose in the meantime. Deniz said there are nearly 80,000 people employed in the private sector today whereas there were more than 120,000 working before the pandemic.

“What’s more concerning is that the unemployment among the youth has increased from 17 per cent to 29 per cent during the pandemic,” Deniz stressed, adding that the chamber’s priority at the moment is to secure employment.


Istanbul prosecutor launches investigation into Kutlu Adalı’s murder

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security

OVERVIEW

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office in Turkey announced on Tuesday that it has launched an investigation into allegations of the murder of Kutlu Adalı. The prosecutor’s office said they had requested that their counterparts in Nicosia send all information, files and documents on the case, the Turkish Cypriot dailies reported on Wednesday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office said it was launching the investigation based on the information and testimony given by Sedat Peker’s brother Atilla Peker. Despite the claims made, the Turkish Cypriot authorities have been dismissive of the allegations even though the opposition keeps the issue alive, insisting that they must relaunch the investigation.

Even though forming of an investigation committee was approved in the parliament with a unanimous vote, the committee has yet to convene.

Commenting on the issue, People’s Party (HP) MP Jale Refik Rogers argued that the parliamentary investigation committee will not be able to conclude the investigation. “The real responsibility lies with the Attorney General’s office and the police,” Rogers stressed, asking them to do their responsibility.

Speaking on Kıbrıs TV on Tuesday, Rogers said she expected to hear “more concrete statements from Ersin Tatar and Ersan Saner since an official investigation on Kutlu Adalı’s murder had been launched in İstanbul.”

“If we claim to be a proper state, we have to be doing what’s necessary,” Rogers concluded. Another HP MP, former Interior Minister and lawyer Ayşegül Baybars also urged the authorities to reopen the case.

“There’s a crime committed 25 years ago. It is necessary to revive the case and the investigation,” she stressed, adding that murder investigations according to our penal code cannot be closed due to years that passed. “Also according to our penal code, due to the location of the crime, the responsibility of the investigation lies with the Turkish Cypriot police,” she stressed, adding that in view of newly surfaced information, the Turkish Cypriot officials now have another opportunity to solve the case.

Baybars said the HP had asked the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Prime Minister Ersan Saner whether or not any investigation will be launched but neither responded.

“Delaying launching the murder investigation will lead to committing the crime of negligence,” Baybars said, questioning Tatar’s and Saner’s underlying reasons for adopting a dismissive attitude on the murder investigation.


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