Front Page Headlines
Spiralling into poverty!
There is no stopping the devaluation of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies. Economists speaking to Yenidüzen draw a gloomy picture: “We are steadily getting poorer.” They warn that the drop in the value of the Turkish Lira will continue and that Turkish Cypriots will be affected more by the fluctuating currency rates.
Yet another price increase in public transport!
Everything has become more expensive due to the increase in the value of the foreign currencies against the Turkish Lira. The repeated increase in petrol prices has made life especially more difficult. Managers of some of the public transport companies say they have been forced to raise bus fares as revenues fall short of covering expenses.
- Deliberations for the new government to commence today – President Ersin Tatar will meet with the heads of political parties today and tomorrow.
- Smuggled hundreds of bottles of alcohol, thousands of packets of cigarettes and even Hellim (Halloumi).
People are suffering due to the Turkish Lira
Following the removal of the governor and the three senior managers at the Turkish Central Bank, the Turkish Lira plummeted creating a tsunami effect. The people are being suffocated with fluctuations in the value of the foreign currencies.
- Not possible to delay an early election any longer – People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay responded to claims on HP forming a coalition with the National Unity Party (UBP) to postpone the early election.
The situation is bad
While the bank debts of citizens in the TRNC reach almost ₺8bn (€734m), the non-performing loans have reached ₺331m (€30m). The budget deficit of the TRNC for the past nine months has reached ₺1.6bn (€147m).
The admiral’s ship is in danger unless there’s a union of forces
The opposition which did not collaborate in the first round of the presidential elections, opening the way forward for Ersin Tatar and eventually handing the presidential palace to him, is now preparing to hand over (north) Nicosia to the National Unity Party (UBP). Nicosia Turkish Municipality (LTB) Mayor Mehmet Harmancı will run for a third term as mayor…The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) is getting ready to announce its candidate for the top seat. Former mayor Kutlay Erk said: “I don’t have any intentions (to run as a candidate) but if my party appoints me, I will not refrain from the task.”
Main News
Turkish navy base on the pan handle
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
External Security
OVERVIEW
The 145,000 square metres of land (108 dönüm (dunams)) will be used to build a naval base in the Karpaz (Karpasia) peninsula in an area close to the Dipkarpaz (Risokarpaso) village, the Turkish Cypriot dailies reported on Tuesday.
The papers’ reports are based on information provided by credible sources within the Turkish Cypriot government. The base will be used for the maintenance and refuelling of the navy ships that accompany the seismic research and drilling vessels operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The dailies on Saturday reported that the Council of Ministers has agreed to allocate 145,000 square meters of land to the Turkish Cypriot Security Forces (GKK) for 30 years. The allocated land is owned by the Evkaf Administration of Cyprus and the decision was approved by the government.
Meanwhile, Turkish broadcaster CNNTürk in June had claimed that Ankara was preparing to establish a naval base in the north once work to convert the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a permanent stationing base for Turkey’s armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is completed.
The Turkish broadcaster noted that the navy base like the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport will be a permanent base for navy ships to dock at. At the time, CNNTürk did not provide any locations as to where the navy base will be built.
Tatar to meet w/ pol. party leaders amid gov’t crisis in the north
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar on Monday said he will be meet with the heads of Turkish Cypriot political parties on Tuesday and Wednesday within the scope of efforts to form a new government following the resignation of the National Unity Party (UBP)-Democratic Party (DP)-Rebirth Party (YDP) coalition on October 13.
In a statement issued from his office, Tatar said he will meet with UBP leader Ersan Saner, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman and leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay in consecutive meetings on Tuesday. He will meet with Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit, DP leader Fikri Ataoğlu and YDP leader Erhan Arıklı on Wednesday.
In the meantime, the blame game among the leaders of the political parties continued on Monday.
Erhürman slammed both Saner and Tatar on social media, arguing that the UBP wants to delay the process of setting up a new government until after its congress. The CTP leader added that even though Tatar had announced he will be meeting with the heads of the political parties on Tuesday and Wednesday, he has yet to send out official invites to the political parties.
The HP leader Özersay also urged Tatar to carry out his “constitutional responsibility” without further delay. Speaking during a TV programme, Özersay reiterated his party’s proposal to form a technocratic government until the early elections.
He also refuted claims that the UBP will form a coalition with the HP, saying that the HP wants a sustainable coalition to be formed following the early elections. Echoing similar views TDP leader Özyiğit stressed calling an early election will be in the best interest of the north. He urged the political parties to get together to identify a date for an early election.
Barbaros: “No one cares about Akıncılar (Louroujina)”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
CBMs
OVERVIEW
The Mayor of Akıncılar (Louroujina) Hasan Barbaros complained on Monday that Turkish Cypriot officials have once again forgotten about his village. Speaking during a programme on a web TV programme, Barbaros accused the central government of neglecting Akıncılar (Louroujina), failing to keep its promises to take steps aimed at reviving the area and easing conditions for its inhabitants.
He also reminded that villagers were demanding the opening of a crossing point at the village allowing direct access to the neighbouring village Lympia in the south. “The Greek Cypriot side must also give the go-ahead on this issue,” Barbaros argued, urging the people to revive their demand for the crossing point.
The villagers in Akıncılar (Louroujina) had launched an initiative demanding the opening of a crossing point in July 2020.
The initiative had organized a rally, marching from Akıncılar (Louroujina) village square towards the Lympia village. The event was attended by a large crowd which included the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who was the prime minister then.
Reading a press statement during the demonstration, the Mayor of Akıncılar (Louroujina) Hasan Barbaros thanked everyone, including the mukhtar and the residents of the Lympia village for their support in their campaign to open a new crossing point in the village to connect with the south side. Barbaros said that the villagers were determined to pursue their goal for an access point to be opened.
“We will continue with our efforts until we achieve results because we no longer want the village to be a dead-end street. We do not want our fellow villagers to be forced to move from the village just because it is too difficult to travel to their jobs,” Barbaros stressed.
He noted the actual distance from the north to the south is approximately 500 metres, but that Turkish Cypriots working in the south were forced to drive either to Nicosia or to the Beyarmudu (Pergamos) to cross over to the south to get to their jobs.
“Nearly 60,000 people will have easy access to the south or the north following the opening of the crossing points,” Barbaros concluded.