TCC Press Review 7 June 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

‘Uncontrolled poverty’

Economy Professor Dr Engin Kara of Cardiff University evaluated the economic situation in the north of Cyprus to Yenidüzen. Both Turkey and North Cyprus are steadily losing altitude economically due to a collapse in basic economic factors. As the economy worsens, poverty is growing at uncontrolled levels. The loss of the value of the Turkish Lira is only the tip of the iceberg.

Kıbrıs

They’re carrying sand and gravel on trucks designed to carry hay

Ayer Yarkıner, head of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, said the trucks in the country were regularly carrying loads above the permitted weight and that this was very dangerous. He said these trucks were all accidents waiting to happen as he gave the example of a truck designed to carry hay transporting sand and gravel.

Havadis

The forests are victims of public tenders

There were 1,083 forest fires in the past 20 years in the TRNC, destroying 51,700 dönüms (dunams) of forest land and 103,450 dönüms of privately-owned land. 596 of these fires were caused by negligence and carelessness.

  • Arıklı’s goal is to handover electricity to the private (sector) – Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit evaluated the developments at the KIBTEK (Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority) and Economy and Energy Minister Erhan Arıklı’s vision for it.

Diyalog

‘You’ve killed us’

Tourism organisations claim that the rules implemented for foreigners wishing to cross from the south to the north are ‘restrictive’. While Turkish and Greek Cypriots have resumed crossings after the checkpoints reopened, the rules in place for foreigners or tourists are creating a crippling effect on tourism. It is said that that the obstacles being placed for those wishing to cross over to the north has had a lethal effect on the tourism sector which is struggling to free itself of the effects of the pandemic. The head of the Turkish Cypriot Hoteliers’ Association Dimağ Çağıner and the head of the Turkish Cypriot Travel Agencies Association Orhan Tolun said that while the authorities decided to reopen the crossing points, they literally shut them for tourists.

  • Figures for the third day – 4,180 crossings to the north, 3.255 to the south.

Avrupa

This case must be withdrawn

The law on the protection of the privacy of life which has caused trouble for three of our journalist friends should be scrapped immediately and legal experts should draft a new law. Since when has it become a crime to reveal illegal transactions on citizenships and passports to the public? The ‘protection of the privacy of life’ law, drafted by Tufan Erhürman and approved in 2014 with the endorsement of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), prevents journalists from bringing fraudulent and scandalous acts to the public’s attention.

  • Approximately 8,000 per day – On the third day of the reopening of the crossings, 7,435 people have crossed. 4,180 people crossed to the north from the south and 3,255 from the north to the south. 

Main News

Erhürman: No one accepts the two-state solution model

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman on Sunday said that everyone was well aware that the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state solution model will not be accepted, particularly after the Turkish Cypriot leadership asked for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to safeguard an equal international status to the two sides on the island.

Erhürman who met with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce as part of his consultations with civil society organisations (CSOs) following the five-plus-one Geneva meeting accused the Turkish Cypriot side of tabling its vision that the ‘best solution is a no-solution.’

He added the international community has labelled the Turkish Cypriot side as intransigent as a result of the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s new position. The CTP leader also recalled that the US administration recently reiterated its support for a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution as well.

“The most feasible and reasonable solution model is the BBF,” Erhürman stressed, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side is now faced with the risk of losing all its gains since the Annan Plan referendum due to the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s position.

Also speaking during the meeting, the head of KTTO, Turgay Deniz pointed out that the reopening of the crossings is an important development for both the economy and for the relations between the members of the two communities.  


Özersay says TC authorities left in the dark on plans for Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
External Security

OVERVIEW

The leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay on Sunday called on Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and the government to inform them on Ankara’s plans for the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport before going ahead with plans regarding the airstrip.

Evaluating the “rumours” on turning the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a permanent base to station Turkey’s armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to an online news outlet, Özersay claimed that neither the opposition, nor Tatar or the government was fully informed about the plans

He underlined the importance of following the “correct procedure” before implementing any such plans, expressing hope that “the Turkish Cypriot authorities will not make yet another blunder like the one with the Maraş (Varosha) initiative.”

He urged the Turkish Cypriot authorities to utilize the ‘international agreement’ instrument after finding out the details of the plans for the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport.

Turkish broadcaster CNNTürk on May 29 claimed that Ankara was preparing to convert the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a permanent base to station Turkey’s armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Moreover, the same Turkish broadcaster also claimed that Ankara will also build a permanent navy base like the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport, for navy ships to dock at.

CNNTürk did not provide any locations as to where the navy base will be built.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who will attend the ceremony to mark the 47th anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention in Cyprus, announced his plans for the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport on May 19. He also said he will “give strong messages to the entire world during his visit.”

It is also reported that the improvements to establish a permanent base for Turkish UAVs at the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport are almost completed and that Erdoğan will inaugurate the airport, which will be given a new name.


13 irregular migrants found hiding in the back of a lorry at Famagusta Port

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Human Rights

OVERVIEW

13 undocumented Syrian migrants were discovered hiding in the back of a lorry that arrived on a freight ship at the Famagusta Port on Sunday.

The migrants, who are all men, from Syria aged between 16 and 35, were detained by the police.

The Syrian migrants, speaking to an online news outlet, said each had paid US $5,000 in Turkey to a human trafficker to take them to the southern part of the island via the north.


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