TCC Press Review 8 Dec 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

It’s gone up by 79 per cent in the past year

The reality behind fuel prices: Eight price hikes in one year, one discount. The value of the Turkish Lira continues to erode against foreign currencies. The price of fuel, one of the most used commodities in the country, has gone by 79 per cent in the past year.

Kıbrıs

The police cells are full, cases piled up

Due to the ongoing coronavirus infection in the central prison for three months, the law enforcement system is blocked. The central prison, which could not stop the coronavirus infection, accepts a limited number of prisoners. As a result, the detainees are being kept in police cells. There are now 27 positive coronavirus cases in the prison with 30 inmates who had been in contact with positive cases.

Havadis

Even bread has become unaffordable

Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers’ Union (KTOEÖS) highlighted that the people have been crushed under the devaluation of the Turkish Lira and the high prices at supermarkets.

  • The Syrian in a mental institution The homeless Syrian, who was arrested in connection with the arson attack on the mosque in Larnaca that drew harsh reactions from the Turkish side, has been placed in a mental institution.

Diyalog

The race has begun

The National Unity Party (UBP) announced 80, the Rebirth Party (YDP) announced 60 and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) announced 48 candidates. Some of the political parties announced their candidates ahead of the early general elections set to take place on January 23, 2021. The quota candidates are not included in these lists. The final lists will be determined by the parties on Saturday. While the UBP will be determining its final list of 50 candidates at the Atatürk Sports Hall and the CTP at the Near East University Atatürk Culture Centre on Saturday, the YDP will be determining its candidates on Sunday at the Atatürk Sports Hall.

Avrupa

The real (political) will: Boycott

Opinion leaders and patriots in our community are calling the public to boycott the upcoming elections. The political parties that are preparing for the elections argue that the boycott will only serve the UBP. The call to boycott the elections in our community is stronger than ever this time. The pro-boycott group, who argue that the left-wing political parties when in power do not change a thing in the north, urge the opposition parties to withdraw from the parliament for them to be real opposition.

Main News

UCN warns SRSG not to “be intimidated by the forces of the status quo”

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

The bicommunal pro-federal solution group UniteCyprusNow (UCN) on Tuesday welcomed the arrival of Mr Colin Stewart as the new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

In a message on Twitter, the UCN called on the new SRSG to “find ways to engage the civil society, women, youth and economic actors in the Cyprus peace process, ensuring greater transparency and support of confidence-building in Cyprus.”

The UCN also urged Stewart not to “get intimated by the forces of status quo on the island,” urging him for further intra-island economic cooperation by defending the crossings and by objecting to Green Line into a hard border.

The UCN concluded by underlining that the activist group is ready to cooperate with the SRSG with a view to true peacebuilding on the island.

Meanwhile, Stewart on Tuesday had his introductory meeting with the staff of the Good Offices Mission, the UN in Cyprus announced on Twitter. It said that Head of Office Sergiy Illarionov warmly welcomed Stewart on behalf of all staff.


Tatar to receive SRSG Stewart on Friday

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Tuesday said he will attend the year-end reception being hosted by Mr Colin Stewart as the new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) provided that the epidemiological situation on the island permits.

In a statement issued from his office, Tatar noted he responded positively to the invitation letter dated November 25 for the reception to be held on December 14. Tatar also noted that he will have a meeting with SRSG Stewart, who is replacing Ms Elizabeth Spehar on December 10.


Biologists’ Association publish an environmental manifesto for the political parties

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing

OVERVIEW

The Turkish Cypriot Biologists’ Association (Bio-Der) on Tuesday published its environmental guidance document and a manifesto for all the political parties to consider ahead of the early elections on January 23, 2022. The Association also urged the voters not to vote for any political party that does not include their recommendations in their election promises.

In a 14-point list, the Association asked for the new “government” to establish an “Environment Ministry” in the cabinet, separating it from Tourism as is the case currently. The Association also noted that the competent authority on the environment must include all the civil society organizations in the environmental management of the north.

Bio-Der also asked for the north to revise its environmental law, giving the local administration for authority and must make the necessary legislative preparation to establish ‘environment courts.’

The Association also asked the new ‘government’ to establish a council on global warming and to invest in renewable energy sources. The priority of the next ‘government’ should abandon the current systems, switching to natural gas.

Bio-Der also asked for the ‘water law’ to be prepared and enacted to manage the limited water resources in the north. Development master plans must be prepared for all areas to prevent uncontrolled development in the north. Moreover, the association also asked for every development project to have Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) reports to be prepared before development takes place.

It also asked for the authorities to focus on waste management; to abandon mass tourism refocusing efforts on environmental tourism; to support organic agricultural instead of traditional practices; to help reforestation of the north; to come up with a biodiversity database and efforts to prevent bio-smuggling must be launched and finally the natural living environments must be protected.


Police searching for human traffickers


Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security, Human Rights

OVERVIEW

Famagusta District Court on Tuesday extended the detention period for the two undocumented migrants for eight more days until the police conclude its investigation.

The two Syrian migrants were discovered in Famagusta on December 4. In their voluntary testimony, the migrants had informed the police they had arrived on shore by boat.

The police are looking for accomplices who might have provided support to human traffickers, who had brought the two migrants to Famagusta.


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