Front Page Headlines
It’s dark everywhere!
This is what the picture of bankruptcy looks like (photo of a pitch black road). The roads are dark and the drivers are outraged. The danger is great. The acting Director of the Department of Road Works Arkın Şansalan’s bitter confession: “We do not have the budget to replace the bulbs that burn out.”
Don’t destroy this beauty
We do not give the necessary importance to nature and destroy it without hesitation. It is, for this reason, there is no end to environmental catastrophes in our country. This time it is Bahçeli (Kalogrea) village in Esentepe (Agios Amvrosios). The water canals below the cliffs were filled with rocks. Their excuse? The canals carry eroded soil to the beach. The residents in the village were outraged when they saw the environmental damage caused.
Drugs scourge
Police carried out a series of narcotics operations named “Hawk” and seized nearly 2 kg of various types of drugs and arrested five people. In a raid carried out in the home of an African suspect, the police also found drugs packaged and ready to be sold.
- The minority government sued again – Social Democratic Party (TDP) filed a lawsuit against the government for the decisions made at the Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority (KIBTEK).
9kgs in 12 days
1.4kgs of drugs, 300grs of it cocaine was seized by police in an operation carried out on the Kyrenia-Nicosia main road. Police are struggling with the recent increase in drug traffic in North Cyprus. The involvement of young people, particularly at a time when universities are reopening is worrying.
Damages incurred by KIBTEK reaches $1m
The Social Democratic Party (TDP) filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Administrative Court for the government’s decisions and applications at KIBTEK (Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority). TDP leader Cemal Özyiğit said the damages incurred both by the government and the authority amounts to $1m.
- No law but mandatory! – Unvaccinated persons or those who do not have a negative test are prohibited from entering the courts.
Main News
TDP met with AKEL
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
A delegation from the TDP headed by party leader Cemal Özyiğit visited AKEL on Wednesday. Speaking following the hour-long meeting, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work for a federal settlement in Cyprus.
Özyiğit told reporters that the TDP has been working for the reunification of the island with AKEL for many years. “It is unfortunate to see however the processes have died down in the recent period,” he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades did not display the will towards a solution in the months leading to the meeting in Crans Montana.
“As a result, following the leadership elections in the north, the current Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar decided to advocate for non-solution by raising the two-state model,” Özyiğit said. He stressed both Anastasiades’ and Tatar’s attitudes will only deepen the partition on the island.
Özyiğit drew attention to the importance of pro-federal settlement political parties on both sides to join forces and to work together for the unification of Cyprus. “The meeting with AKEL is important in this regard,” he said, adding that both parties were committed to establishing a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution based on political equality.
Stressing that the BBF is the most feasible option on the island, Özyiğit said the most reasonable way forward now is for the talks to continue from where they left off in line with the agreements reached at the Berlin trilateral.
“What needs to be done is to restart the negotiations in line with the agreement reached at the trilateral meeting to include political equality, rotational presidency and effective participation in decision-making processes. The talks should be in line with the Guterres Framework dated June 30 and based on the Joint Declaration dated February 11, 2014,” Özyiğit said.
AKEL’s head Stefanos Stefanou for his part echoed Özyiğit’s viewpoint, highlighting that Cyprus is going through a very critical phase.
Noting he agrees with the TDP on the resumption of talks, Stefanou said the negotiations must restart from the point the process was left off in Crans Montana in line with the framework drawn by the UN Secretary-General (UNSG). He also stressed the negotiations must also respect the past convergences.
“The goal of the new round of talks must be based on a BBF including the political equality of the two communities as stated so in relevant UN resolutions,” Stefanou said. Both party leaders expressed their intention and determination to continue to collaborate for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
KEY ACTORS
Özyiğit (TDP)
>> Attitude of both leaders will only deepen partition on the island.
>> Pro-solution forces on both sides should join forces & work together for reunification.
>> TDP committed to a BBF based on political equality. BBF most feasible option for a solution on the island.
>> Talks should resume from where they left off at Berlin trilateral to include political equality, rotational presidency & effective participation in decision-making.
>> Talks should be in line with Guterres framework & February 11, 2014, Joint Declaration.
Stefanou (AKEL)
>> Talks should resume from where they left off in Crans Montana within the framework drawn by UNSG.
>>New round of talks must be based on BBF, including political equality of two communities as stated in UN resolutions.
Erhürman slams both Tatar and Anastasiades
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman on Wednesday slammed both the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades for their lack of achievement in the Cyprus problem.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Erhürman criticized Tatar’s remarks made upon his return to the island on “reaching the desired position in the Cyprus problem.”
“Tatar said he has reached the desired point in the Cyprus issue. Anastasiades is equally comfortable too. Both have reached their desired points. They have made each other reach the point they wanted to reach. We congratulate them both,” Erhürman concluded.
Meanwhile, both the CTP and the Social Democratic Party (TDP) announced on Wednesday that they will not be attending Thursday’s to be given by Tatar to political parties with seats in the Turkish Cypriot parliament regarding his meetings in New York.
Both parties said that they would be protesting the meeting because Tatar had failed to consult the parties ahead of his visit to New York.
UCN applauds the RoC for covering medical costs for Asya
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The bicommunal group UniteCyprusNow (UCN) on Wednesday, applauded the decision of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) to cover the medical costs of Asya Polatlı who has been suffering from SMA Type 1, a rare medical condition that requires an expensive treatment process.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UCN also express their gratitude and appreciation to all the volunteers, civil society activists, artists and Cypriots for organising campaigns to create awareness and collect donations to help her and her family.
“This is just another example of what can be done when we work together as Cypriots,” the UCN stressed, adding that the move has had a very positive response from both communities and demonstrated the enormous power of such gestures in uniting Cyprus.
“We need to remember that people should come before politics and politics should be made for the good of the people,” the statement read, adding that compassion and cooperation are the values we need to uphold to reach real peace in this geography.
The UCN wished Asya a speedy recovery and said “We hope that we all understand that working together, in unity and the spirit of humanity, is always to the benefit of our island and its people.”
Turkey donates $100K to CMP
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Turkey has donated $100,000 to the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) on Wednesday. A cheque was handed over to the Turkish Cypriot member of the CMP Hakkı Müftüzade by the Turkish ambassador Ali Murat Başçeri in north Nicosia.
Speaking during the meeting, Başçeri said that they attached great importance to the work of the CMP and expressed hope that the CMP’s efforts are successful.
He pointed out that conditions to locate the remains of missing persons were becoming harder each passing day. “We hope that this humanitarian project is completed as soon as possible,” Başçeri added.
The Turkish Cypriot member of the CMP Hakkı Müftüzade for his part thanked the Turkish government for its generous donation. The latest donation has brought Ankara’s financial assistance to the CMP to $1,5m over the past 15 years.
Grant beneficiaries announced in EU financed project for start-ups
Yenidüzen
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The grant beneficiaries within the scope of the EU financed “Technical and economic empowerment of entrepreneurship (Start-ups)” project has been announced, Yenidüzen reported on Thursday.
The beneficiaries who are aged between 20 and 35 are all start-ups operating in production, IT, restaurant and coffee (café) sectors in the northern part.
The project, which is being implemented by SOS Children’s Village, held capacity development activities through tailored programmes and strengthened the position of the SOS Youth Development and Resource Centre in Kyrenia (GIGEM) as a centre for supporting and developing young people as future entrepreneurs.
The participants were given courses on finance, business planning, market research, and presentation skills. The beneficiaries of the project’s small grants programme are Udorm, Grön Vegan Kitchen, Cyprus Codes, Rest Coffee, Trade Green Line, Science For Kids, Bonafide Consulting and Axe Motorsport & Engineering.