Front Page Headlines
Crimes detected in two files
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay drew attention to the work carried out within the framework of tackling corruption. He said that files have been completed.
Reforms should be comprehensive; big picture missing
Public administration expert Assist. Prof. Dr Deniz İşçioğlu said the big picture is missing from the structural reforms planned. The authorities focus on only one aspect of the reforms and that is the public reform bill.
- The Greek Cypriot side wants the Turkish Cypriot side to lose time – Finance Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktaş said the Greek Cypriot side is working very hard to delay the process.
- If the economic protocol not signed in May – Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı said if the Prime Minister fails to sign the economic protocol agreement with Turkey in May, he should resign from his post.
Blocking the riverbeds in eight points
Merter Refikoğlu, head of the Chamber of Town Planners, pointed to the riverbed blockages in eight points that resulted in severe floods throughout the North.
- “I believe Turkey will not sign the economic protocol” – Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı claimed the draft protocol sent by Turkish Cypriot officials does not meet Turkey’s expectations nor does it have any goals.
- 10MW increase in electricity consumption – TC electricity company (KIBTEK) R&D Director Saffet Aşıksoy emphasized people have adjusted their electricity consumption patterns according to the new tariffs and are consuming most at the cheapest time slot.
We fail in protecting our children
The number of juvenile offenders has reached a frightening level according to statistics obtained from the annual reports of the Turkish Cypriot courts. Between 2009 and 2018, 969 children below 16 years of age were involved in criminal activity.
- If the army does not pay, KIB-TEK (electricity authority) will go under – KIB-TEK workers’ union (EL-SEN) emphasized the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot Security Forces have not paid their electricity bills amounting to 55m Turkish Lira.
Crisis warning
Former foreign ministers Turgay Avcı and Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu warned of negative consequences should the US lift the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot side.
- King Abdullah’s ‘new friends’ – Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades gave King Abdullah a royal welcome. South Cyprus, Greece and Jordan reaffirm cooperation on ‘Security and Energy’ issues.
Military also not paying for its electricity
The public is being burdened with the army’s unpaid electricity bill for the past eight months. Neither the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces nor the Turkish military have been paying their electricity bills to KIB-TEK (electricity authority) for the past eight months. The debt has reached 55 million Turkish Lira.
Main News
Greek Cypriots want the Turkish Cypriot side to lose time
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
In his evaluation of the Greek Cypriot mediareports on the Cyprus problem, Finance Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktaş said the Greek Cypriot side is working very hard to delay the process. In a statement issued on Sunday, Denktaş emphasized the Greek Cypriot side wants to keep the solution process, which they killed off, on a resuscitator in order for the Turkish Cypriots to lose time.
Denktaş added that the Greek Cypriot side is making every effort for the process to drag on, noting that the south is working intensively to prevent Jane Holl Lute from declaring a deadlock in her efforts to produce a Terms of Reference document in the UN Good Offices mission report to be submitted by the UNSG to the UN Security Council on Monday.
Denktaş said 15 years have passed since the former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan had urged the Greek Cypriot side to show their readiness to share governance and wealth with the Turkish Cypriots with their actions and not in words. Denktaş also criticized Anastasiades for “daring to reject political equality and TCs’ effective participation publicly”.
Denktaş reminded of the rejections made by the Greek Cypriot side in the past 15 years and urged the Greek Cypriot side to announce what they really want out of the process. It is neither to the UN’s nor the Turkish Cypriots’ advantage to pretend as if there is a possibility of producing reference points, said Denktaş. The DP leader added, instead of trying to keep the dead process alive, new and creative ideas are needed to ensure the peoples on the island look to the future with security.
KEY ACTOR
Denktaş (DP)
>> GCs working on delaying the process, they do not want UN envoy to declare a deadlock over ToR document in UNSG’s report.
>> GC leader rejects political equality and effective participation in decision-making processes publicly.
>> After series of rejections, GCs must openly express what they want out of the process on the island.
>> New and creative ideas needed to ensure a secure future for the peoples of the island.
Former officials warn of consequences of removing US arms embargo
Diyalog
External Security
OVERVIEW
Former Turkish Cypriot foreign ministers Turgay Avcı and Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu have warned that a decision by the US to remove its arms embargo on South Cyprus will not lead to good things. Speaking to Diyalog, Avcı argued that lifting the embargo will only make the Greek Cypriots more intransigent.
He called on President Mustafa Akıncı to convene parliament for an extraordinary session to discuss countermeasures.
Avcı pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side has always adopted a constructive stance towards reaching a solution.
He said the Greek Cypriot side’s stance, on the other hand, got worse as time went by.
‘Anastasiades recently put the process in a deadlock by rejecting the notion of a rotational presidency and insisting on zero-troops and zero-guarantees,’ said Avcı.
More importantly, South Cyprus is attempting to build closer relations with the Middle Eastern countries that normally support Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, said Avcı.
He criticized the foreign ministry and government for failing to take action against such moves.
Avci defended the move to open new representation offices in order to promote the Turkish Cypriots’ cause.
Avcı also questioned why pro-EU parties have failed to raise such issues with the European Union.
He argued that the US was on the move to lift the arms embargo due to military goals and activities by other countries such as France and the UK in Cyprus.
Former TC foreign minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu said the Greek Cypriot side’s ultimate goal was to push Turkish Cypriots into further isolation by using the advantage of being recognized internationally.
He said he believed the US would not be making a grave mistake by lifting its arms embargo on South Cyprus but added that everything is possible.
Such a move would only further encourage the Greek Cypriot side to act like a spoilt child and raise new tensions in the region, Tahsinoğlu warned.