Front Page Headlines
Youth consider migrating to other countries
While economic crisis, lack of progress in solving the Cyprus Problem, continued isolation from the world and the pandemic drags the country into collapse, youth who look at the future with concern told Yenidüzen that the country restricted their dreams.
‘Foreign currency’ deals a blow to cancer patients!
The unstoppable rise in the value of foreign currencies against the Turkish Lira has dealt a devastating blow to cancer patients, who require life without stress. Medicines for cancer patients at the moment range between ₺8,000 (€571) and ₺75,000 (€5,357). The patients registered with the social security system pay 20 per cent of the total amount but those who are not, have to pay the full amount.
- The unvaccinated will not be allowed to enter indoor venues – The Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases adopted new measures given the surge in the Covid-19 cases in the country.
One last week
While 80 people applied to the Rebirth Party (YDP) until yesterday, six people applied to the National Unity Party (UBP). The process for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Peoples’ Party (HP) begins tomorrow. The two are to begin accepting candidacy applications until December 4. Despite having launched the same process last week, only six people from the UBP have applied so far to become candidates. The General Secretary of the UBP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu told Diyalog that party members usually wait for the last three days before applying. The leader of the YDP Enver Öztürk said that 80 people had applied in the past week and that the process would end today. The Democratic Party (DP) and the Social Democratic Party (TDP) will continue to accept applications next week.
Prison island
Electric fence in the buffer zone. The Greek Cypriot side, which had previously erected barbed-wire fences, is getting ready to build an electric fence in the buffer zone. It is reported that the measure is to prevent irregular migrants in the north from crossing to the south. The project is named “Prevention of illegal migration from occupied territories.
- We will create a Cyprus where we will not get killed – Women organisations staged a protest in Arasta, the shopping district of Nicosia’s old town and chanted slogans in Turkish and in Greek.
- It’s not enough to have had two doses of vaccinations – Those who have not received the booster dose will be regarded unvaccinated and their AdaPass (safe pass) will be revoked.
Main News
Şentop: Ankara will continue to protect the rights of the TCs in East Med
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Mustafa Şentop, speaker of the Turkish Parliament said on Saturday Greece and the Greek Cypriot side are the root causes of the problems in the region, reiterating Ankara’s position on the Eastern Mediterranean.
Şentop gave an interview to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo as part of his official visit to Madrid. During the interview, he touched on the problems in the Eastern Mediterranean in addition to the bilateral relations between Turkey and Spain.
“The things Greece or the Greek Cypriot side desire or imagine are requests and demands contrary to international law, the principle of equality and international treaties, even reason and logic,” Şentop stressed, adding that Turkey’s position against Greece, which is deploying troops and arming the demilitarised islands in the Aegean contrary to the international law.
Şentop stressed Ankara is determined to protect the rights and interests of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
“Turkey has always been in favour of dialogue and diplomacy to solve the problems,” Şentop said. He however added that the Greece and Greek Cypriot sides have not given up on their maximalist demands.
“The problems in the Eastern Mediterranean can only end when Greece displays a reasonable and reconciliatory attitude, which they haven’t to date,” he said, noting that the attitude adopted by the EU has made the problems impossible to solve.
“It is unfortunate to see that the EU member states, which are also Turkey’s allies in the NATO, are not able to approach the Eastern Mediterranean issue with an impartial attitude,” Şentop said, warning that supporting the Greek positions would only harm the efforts for a possible solution. “Spain in this regard should tell both Greece and the Greek Cypriot side to comply with international law,” Şentop concluded.
In the meantime, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Saturday echoed the same message given by Şentop. Speaking before the Turkish parliament’s budget and planning committee on the 2022 budget for the office of the president, Oktay said Ankara defends the legitimate rights and interests of both Turkey and Turkish Cypriots.
He also said Ankara has intensified efforts for delineation of the maritime jurisdiction areas through dialogue and collaboration and on the principle of equitable sharing.
KEY ACTORS
Şentop (Turkey)
>> Problems in the East Med can end only when Greece displays a reasonable & reconciliatory attitude.
>> Unfortunate that the EU is not approaching the issue with an impartial stance.
>> Spain should tell both Greece & GC side to comply with international law.
Oktay (Turkey)
>> Ankara defends the legitimate rights & interests of both Turkey & TCs.
>> Ankara has intensified efforts for the delineation of maritime jurisdiction areas through dialogue & collaboration.
Queer Cyprus Association: LGBTI+ individuals are victims of hate speech & discrimination
Yenidüzen
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Queer Cyprus Association on Saturday said LGBTI+ individuals are victims of hate speech, battery and threats contrary to the general belief that “Cypriots are open-minded.”
During an online meeting held with the Social Democratic Party (TDP) Youth Branch, Queer Cyprus Association activist Doğukan Gümüşatam added that the general belief that Cypriots do not resort to violence is also wrong.
Gümüşatam added that according to the findings of the Association’s research, 49.2 per cent of the LGBTI+ individuals are trying to get by at the level of the hunger threshold and 92 per cent below the poverty line.
“The LGBTI+ individuals are the most fragile segment of the community surviving without any social security or assurances,” Gümüşatam stressed, adding that they are not able to join the economic life due to discrimination they have been subjected from very early in their lives. He said, as a result, they are potential victims of human trafficking as well.
“Only 11 per cent of LGBTI+ individuals are university graduates, and only 30 per cent have managed to graduate from a high school,” Gümüşatam noted, adding that research has proved 41 per cent of LGBTI+ individuals due to family pressure and 20 per cent due to community-based discrimination are forced to conceal their identities.
“The result is trauma in LGBTI+ individuals,” Gümüşatam stressed. Another activist from the Association, Ömür Ray during the meeting, stressed three out of four LGBTI+ individuals must hide their identity due to discrimination in the work environment.
Ray added that 56 per cent of the LGBTI+ individuals are considering emigrating elsewhere due to the discriminatory attitude towards them at their workplaces and only two individuals who suffered violence at the workplace out of 37 went to police to file an official complaint.
Erman Dolmacı, another activist from the Association, pointed out civil unions are not recognized in the north. He noted that the individual’s declaration of his or her gender identity should be sufficient in defining his or her sex in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
Dolmacı urged the politicians and authorities to take steps in the right direction to protect the rights of LGBTI+ individuals.
Suspect w/ fake Bulgarian passport arrested
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
A.K. was arrested on Friday while he was trying to board a plane at the Ercan (Tymbou) airport with a fake Bulgarian passport.
The police officer in charge of the investigation informed the court the suspect had managed to cross into the north through the Lokmacı (Ledra St.) crossing on the same day with the same passport.
The police officer also told the court that the suspect had testified to “purchasing the fake passport for €3,000 from abroad and delivered to him via post in South Cyprus.” He said the suspect had lost his original passport.
The Court ordered the suspect to be remanded for three more days until the police conclude their investigation.