Front Page Headlines
Dangerous rise in case numbers
There is no room left in the hospital and new wards are being opened. Health care workers are worried: “Risk of making mistakes and the burden on health care workers is growing.” The bed capacity at the pandemic hospital is almost full and there is concern that the ICU might fill up as well. While doctors working at the hospital are worried about the growing number of patients they also warn that the margin for error is growing as more and more patients fill up the wards.
- ‘Passport’ retaliation –The Republic of Cyprus (RoC) Council of Ministers: The passports of Tatar and TRNC Ministers who participated in the decision to open Maraş (Varosha) will not have their Republic of Cyprus passports renewed.
- (Former Turkish Cypriot leader) Derviş Eroğlu in ICU
Threatened with passports
The Greek Cypriot cabinet decided to rescind or not to renew the “Republic of Cyprus” passports belonging to some Turkish Cypriot state and government officials due to the steps taken in Maraş (Varosha). The decision drew reactions from the TRNC.
- The public tender to procure 220,000 tons of fuel oil cancelled again – Both the police and the Attorney General’s office informed the Central Public Tender Commission (MIK) that one of the companies taking part in KIBTEK’s (Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority) fuel oil procurement tender does not comply with the relevant terms of reference for the tender.
It will be a tough winter
Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB) evaluated the latest situation regarding the pandemic and harshly criticised the government. The KTTB said it is not possible to manage the pandemic without a system in place, warning that the numbers of positive cases are increasing at a rapid pace. The doctors warned that if the measures are not implemented and inspections are not carried out, the conditions will worsen with the winter months.
- Attempting to punish with passports – Greek Cypriot cabinet decided to rescind the passports belonging to some officials in the TRNC.
Unlawful
The Greek Cypriot administration, despite the absence of a court order, unlawfully cancelled the RoC passports of President Tatar and members of the TRNC Council of Ministers. The Greek Cypriot cabinet which convened at the Greek Cypriot leader’s summer residence in Troodos decided to rescind the RoC passports of President Ersin Tatar, Prime Minister Ersan Saner and members of the Council of Ministers. While the Greek Cypriot Attorney General warned that the decision would be unlawful and that the Greek Cypriot administration could be faced with lawsuits, other legal experts say that such a decision could only be taken with a court order.
- “I wasn’t using it” –Tatar who spoke to Diyalog said, “Personally I don’t have a problem.”
- Saner: I am disappointed.
- Erhürman: It won’t benefit anyone.
- Özersay: Incapableness.
- Ataoğlu: The EU’s spoilt child.
- Özyiğit: Human rights are being throttled on.
RoC passports revoked
The Cyprus government in the south revoked the passports belonging to Ersin Tatar, the members of the cabinet as well as those leading the Maraş (Varosha) Initiative. The Greek Cypriot Government Spokesman Marios Pelakanos announced the decision following a cabinet meeting.
Main News
Passport decision generates harsh criticism from the TC side
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
The decision taken by the Greek Cypriot cabinet on Monday to “rescind or to refuse renewal or issue Republic of Cyprus (RoC) passports to a number of Turkish Cypriots due to the Maraş (Varosha) Initiative caused an uproar in the north.
The cabinet on Monday decided to rescind the passports of 14 Turkish Cypriots, including leader Ersin Tatar, seen as undermining the RoC. The decision concerns Turkish Cypriot officials and others involved in the opening of Maraş (Varosha), Greek Cypriot government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said after a three-hour cabinet meeting at the presidential residence in Troodos.
“During today’s session, the cabinet decided to rescind or refuse renewal or issue Republic of Cyprus passports to a number of individuals who either participate in the so-called cabinet of the breakaway state or are members of the committee to open Varosha,” he said.
Turkish Cypriot newspaper dailies later published the names of those targeted, which include Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Turkish Cypriot Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoglu and the rest of the cabinet.
Their actions undermine the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and security of the Republic of Cyprus, Pelekanos added.
Tatar, evaluating the decision to the Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK, slammed the Greek Cypriot leadership for what it said was an arbitrary and politically motivated decision. The Turkish Cypriot leader tried to downplay the impact of the decision, stating that it would not personally affect him as he hadn’t used the passport for some time.
“The Greek Cypriot administration claims to be the sole owners of the RoC,” Tatar argued, adding that he condemns and rejects such a decision. Tatar argued that the Turkish Cypriots applied and obtained RoC passports due to the embargoes and restrictions imposed on them.
“The Turkish Cypriots used their right as an equal founder of the RoC to obtain the citizenship,” he said, asking the south side to respect people’s personal rights. “It is immoral to punish us with our rights for the political position we advocate for,” he said, asking for the passports belonging to Greek Cypriots who campaign against the Greek Cypriot state to be rescinded as well.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner described the decision on passports as “hostile.” Speaking to the media on Monday following a cabinet meeting, Saner expressed his disappointment urged the Greek Cypriot administration to revise its decision. He also noted that a detailed statement will be issued after evaluating the decision in all aspects.
Leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman said the decision on the passports was legal nonsense.” In a social media post on Monday, Erhürman added that the two sides continued to focus their energies on unnecessary matters.
The People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay argued that the Greek Cypriot cabinet’s decision was a sign of its inability to stop the Turkish Cypriot side’s move on the fenced-off town of Maraş (Varosha).
In a social media post on Monday, Özersay argued the Greek Cypriot cabinet adopted the decision as a PR stunt in an attempt to deflect growing public discontentment in the south over the government’s handling of the Maraş (Varosha) issue and its failure to adopt an effective counter-strategy against the Turkish Cypriot side’s moves on Maraş (Varosha).
He further argued that the Greek Cypriot leadership’s decision will only take the Cypriot communities backwards both politically and legally. Arguing that the Greek Cypriot leadership’s decision is a “cheap political manoeuvre,” Özersay concluded.
Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit also slammed the Greek Cypriot cabinet’s decision on Monday. Noting that the RoC cabinet formed solely by Greek Cypriots produced a decision to rescind or not to renew RoC passports belonging to a group of Turkish Cypriots, he said that the two sides are politicizing the issue of citizenship to the detriment of the members of the two communities.
“The two sides are working on making the partition permanent, strengthening the status quo,” the TDP leader argued, adding that the Greek Cypriot cabinet not only violated the very principles of the RoC but also universal human rights.
Özyiğit said the TDP will raise the matter with the EU. He also noted that sooner or later the Greek Cypriot leadership will learn not to play with the rights of the Turkish Cypriots or use the RoC citizenship as a weapon against them.
“The RoC citizenship is a right, not something that is granted by the Greek Cypriots,” Özyiğit said, warning that the future of the island is being threatened with the attempts to satisfy nationalist sentiments.
Democratic Party (DP) leader and Tourism Minister Fikri Ataoğlu also condemned the Greek Cypriot cabinet’s decision. In a social media post on Monday, Ataoğlu urged the Greek Cypriot administration to be more “peace-oriented and humane in its decisions.”
He also accused the international community of being mere spectators to the Greek Cypriot side’s occupation of the 1960 Republic. “The EU is responsible for Greek Cypriot side’s insolence which is increasing by the day and extending to people’s rights and freedoms,” Ataoğlu argued.
National Unity Party (UBP) General Secretary Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu who was among the names on the list said the decision on the passports once again proved that the Greek Cypriot side’s racist, anachronistic and inhumane mindset has not changed a bit.
In a social media post, Hasipoğlu argued the Greek Cypriot side when occupied the 1960 Republic by force of arms has rescinded the RoC passports. Arguing that the Greek Cypriot side’s decision on passports can in no way be legally justified, Hasipoğlu also expressed his awe in the decision being taken against the Maraş (Varosha) Initiative.
“The Greek Cypriot side failed to comprehend what good there can be in keeping Maraş (Varosha) behind fences,” the UBP general secretary said, reminding that the Turkish Cypriot side repeatedly had offered the return of the town in exchange for the lifting of the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots.
“The Turkish Cypriot side could no longer be a hostage to the Greek Cypriot side, which has rejected all the solution proposals at the negotiations table,” Hasipoğlu said, arguing that the Greek Cypriot administration with its decision on the passports, is actually objecting to the idea of some Greek Cypriots willing to return to their homes under the Turkish Cypriot rule.
Well-known researcher and opinion leader Mete Hatay also objected to the Greek Cypriot cabinet’s decision, arguing that the RoC “once again proved how arbitrarily its approaches to the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.”
Accusing the Greek Cypriot side of adopting double standards against Turkish Cypriots, Hatay argued that if the cabinet’s decision is taken against those who do not recognize the RoC, the cabinet should also rescind the citizenship of those who advocate for Enosis in the south.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> The decision is immoral, arbitrary, politically motivated & unacceptable.
Saner (UBP)
>> GC side should reconsider its “hostile” & disappointing decision.
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Decision is legal nonsense & the two sides continue to focus their energies on unnecessary matters.
Özersay (HP)
>> The decision is a PR stunt aimed at deflecting growing public discontentment in the south over the GC side’s handling of the Maraş (Varosha) issue & its failure to adopt an effective counter-strategy against the TC side’s moves.
>> The decision will only take the Cypriot communities backwards both politically & legally.
Özyiğit (TDP)
>> The two sides are politicizing the issue of citizenship to the detriment of the members of the two communities.
>> The two sides are working on making the partition permanent, strengthening the status quo.
>> The GC cabinet is not only violating the principles of the RoC but also universal human rights.
Ataoğlu (DP)
>> GC side needs to be more peace-oriented and humane in its decisions.
>> The international community of being mere spectators to the GC side’s occupation of the 1960 RoC.
>> The EU is responsible for GC’s insolence which is increasing by the day & extending to people’s rights & freedoms
Hasipoğlu (UBP)
>> The decision on the passports once again proved that the GC side’s racist, anachronic and inhumane mindset has not changed a bit.
“Imagine Project” receives German funding
Yenidüzen
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The “Imagine Project” received funding from the German Embassy for the implementation of the project from August 2021 to July 2024, a statement from the Embassy read. An agreement to seal the funding was signed on Monday by Mr Ulrich Peitz, Chargé d’ affairs of the German Embassy in Nicosia and Kyriakos Pachoulides, Co-President of the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR).
‘Imagine’ is an Educational Program on Anti-racism Education/ Education for a Culture of Peace launched in October 2017 with the agreement of the leaders of the two communities on the island.
The project is implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue & Research (AHDR) and the Home For Cooperation (H4C) under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education.
It is supported by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the Office of the SASG on Cyprus (OSASG). Since its first day of implementation, ‘Imagine’ has been funded solely and proudly by the Federal Foreign Office of the Republic of Germany.
Loizos Loukaidis from AHDR in a social media post expressed his gratitude for the support given by the German Embassy. “The AHDR would like to express its gratitude for this support as well as reiterate its commitment to contributing to peacebuilding through education,” Loukaidis concluded.