Front Page Headlines
‘Careful about getting infected’
The number of daily tests has dropped PCR tests in particular. The decision adopted by the Council of Ministers on September 1 to charge people for PCR or rapid tests has led to a significant drop in the number of daily Covid-19 tests. Many have now switched to rapid tests which are free of charge for vaccinated individuals. Doctors are warning the switch to rapid tests may increase infections as they are not as reliable as PCR tests.
₺51m (€5.1) paid for 120 benched civil servants in a year and a half
None of the governments to date has been able to solve the problem of civil servants being made redundant. Civil servants, who became redundant before 2018, are currently not active in the public sector but continue to receive their salaries from the treasury, which is in severe difficulty.
- 642 cameras monitoring Nicosia and Kyrenia – The City Security Management System, which aims at preventing crime in public spaces, has taken a big load off the police. The surveillance cameras also help identify traffic violations and check for vehicle’s paperwork.
- Subjected to violence and pressure – KAYAD shared the results of the poll to “measure the human trafficking and prostitution perception in North Cyprus.”
- UK’s chief consul for Istanbul is a Turkish Cypriot – Turkish Cypriot Kenan Poleo became UK’s chief consul for Istanbul.
Asya hits the “citizenship” hurdle
10-month old Asya, who was transferred to Ankara via ambulance plane, is an SMA Type 1 patient. The family was told there was no need to run a fund-raising campaign as she would receive the necessary treatment there. However, Asya, despite three weeks has passed, has not been given the Spinraza medication, which will slow down the progress of the illness. The Platform for Health Rights said Asya cannot be registered with the Social Security Department because she is not a Turkish national thus, she is not given the medication.
- The people are disturbed by women trafficking – KAYAD shared the results of the poll, which was done with a sample group of 1000 individuals, entitled “Human trafficking and prostitution perceptions in North Cyprus.”
- Our pride in Istanbul – Turkish Cypriot Kenan Poleo, whose mother is from Akıncılar (Louroujina) and father from Balalan (Platanissos), has become UK’s chief consul in Istanbul.
Careful
Over a million Turkish Liras has been swindled by a criminal gang who call up elderly people asking to transfer their money to other accounts. According to information obtained by Diyalog, the swindlers who pose as police officers tell people that their accounts are compromised and that they need to transfer their money to other safer accounts. The swindlers have especially targeted old people.
52.7 per cent said (night clubs) serve prostitution
71.5 per cent of the community say the nightclubs can be closed if there is proof that women are being trafficked. KAYAD held a press conference on prostitution and women trafficking to announce the results of the poll done with one thousand people. 71.5 per cent of the participants oppose women trafficking however 52.7 per cent are pleased with the “service” at the nightclubs
- They are subjected to physical violence – Lawyer Fezile Osum: “Women are brought here without knowing the nature of their work. Then the women are told that the business owner spent money to bring them therefore they have to be with at least seven or eight people.” She added: the women’s telephones are being monitored, they are subjected to psychological and physical violence. “I’m talking about unbelievable violence,” Osum said.
- 25 per cent in favour of returning to 1960 – Politis newspaper in the south carried out a poll together with the University of Nicosia on behalf of Sigma TV.
Main News
Tatar: “Agreement in Cyprus must be based on equality”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Tuesday reiterated his known stance on the solution model to the Cyprus problem during the inauguration ceremony held for the Osman Nejat Konuk secondary school.
Stressing that “the agreement in Cyprus must be based on equality,” Tatar praised Konuk, who waged a struggle as a Turkish Cypriot statesman alongside with late Rauf Denktaş. “The duty that falls upon us is to exercise leadership and teach leadership. We must raise young generations who love their country, who display good character and are successful,” Tatar said.
Also touching upon the Cyprus Issue, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that he and his delegation will be flying to New York on the weekend for meetings within the framework of the UN General Assembly. “We will once again tell everyone in New York that there are two sovereign peoples in Cyprus, he said, adding that a two-state solution was the only feasible option on the island.
The international community needs to understand this. We need to persuade the international community as this is in the best interest of our people. It will be our duty to explain and convey this to our interlocutors,” he said. Tatar also expressed his pleasure in seeing new schools being opened despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
KAYAD: 71.5 per cent positive on closing night clubs in the case of trafficking
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
KAYAD (Support from Women to Living Association) on Tuesday said 71.5 per cent of the respondents in its latest poll measuring the “Human trafficking and prostitution perceptions in North Cyprus” said they will agree to the closure of nightclubs in the case of women trafficking.
Speaking during the press conference held for announcing the poll results, which was conducted with a 1000 people sample group, Lawyer Mine Atlı pointed out that the poll results are not limited to numbers, adding that it worked as a mirror of the community reflecting the Turkish Cypriots’ sentiments on the issue.
She said the interviews carried with women who were employed by nightclubs in the past elaborated on the violence and the pressure they had been subjected to.
“The issue is more than prostitution. It’s about women trafficking. It is about modern-day slavery,” Atlı stressed, adding that 43.3 per cent of the poll respondents were in favour of completely closing the night clubs whereas 71.5 per cent said such establishments should only be closed if there is proof of trafficking taking place.
Noting that the Turkish Cypriot ministers for health, labour and social security and interior had confirmed in 2018 that prostitution was taking place in nightclubs, Atlı said 78.6 per cent of the respondents said they believe that sex services are common at such establishments in the north.
She recalled that a nightclub workshop was held in 2018 by the interior ministry identifying eight immediate targets. Atlı added that only one of the eight targets was achieved in the past three years. “The only target that was achieved was including human trafficking in the penal code,” Atlı said.
Following Atlı, Mine Yücel, director of CMIRS (Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights Studies) shared the results of the poll which was carried out with a sample group of 1000 people equally divided as male and female.
Yücel said 15.8 per cent of the participants said prostitution is acceptable whereas 20.7 per cent said those paying for prostitution is acceptable. She added that 37.3 per cent of the respondents aid the nightclubs are acceptable.
She underlined that the poll has revealed that 52.7 per cent of the respondents believe the nightclubs provide a “necessary service in the society,” compared to 43.3 per cent saying they should be closed. She added that 71.5 per cent said the nightclubs should be closed if there is trafficking taking place on those premises.
“82 per cent of the poll participants believe women are been trafficked in North Cyprus,” Yücel said, adding that 40.9 per cent of female poll participants and 44.1 per cent of male participants believe that the women pushed into prostitution are not victims of human trafficking.
Yücel said in response to the question “What would you do if you were to meet a victim of human trafficking at a nightclub?” 58.6 per cent said they will call the police. “86.6 per cent of the poll participants believe that North Cyprus requires a law to combat human trafficking,” Yücel concluded.