Front Page Headlines
700 businesses shut in seven months
Business owners struggling with economic problems are being forced to shut down their shops for good. The situation of business owners in the north of Cyprus is getting worse by the day. According to figures released by the Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans, more than 700 businesses have gone bankrupt in the last seven months. Only 30 new businesses opened up in the last three months. Signs with ‘For Sale’ written on them can be seen in many shops in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta.
We are free for 46 years
The 46th-anniversary celebrations were held under the shadow of the coronavirus. The statements delivered during the ceremonies emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people have been living in peace and freedom for the past 46 years. President Mustafa Akıncı in his speech during the ceremony in north Nicosia said the martyrs died so that the Turkish Cypriot people to live in freedom, without being a minority and with pride. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay reiterated that Turkey will continue to be the biggest supporter of the Turkish Cypriots.
- Two new positive cases – Turkish Cypriot Health Ministry carried out 1,614 tests and identified two positive cases. No new cases in South Cyprus.
Priority is political equality, the alternative is sovereign equality
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay underlined Turkey’s policy on Cyprus during his speech delivered during the 20th July ceremony. Oktay said Ankara advocates for a solution of the Cyprus problem first on the basis of political equality. “If not possible, then it should be solved on the basis of sovereign equality,” he said.
- VIPs adhered to social distancing but the people did not – Even though the social distancing rule was in place for the main July 20 July ceremony, the public did not adhere. The VIPs maintained the social distancing rule as they watched the parade.
- The latest situation: North 123 cases, four deaths; South 1038 cases, 27 deaths; Turkey 220,572 cases, 5,508 deaths.
A serious rise
32 incidents of crime have been recorded in the Famagusta area alone in the last seven months. According to figures released by the Famagusta District Court, 668 petty crimes and 364 serious criminal offences have been committed in the period between January and July, amounting to a total of 1032 cases. In the İskele (Trikomo) area, 249 petty crimes and 105 serious crimes were committed. A 53 per cent increase has been recorded in criminal incidents over the past year.
- They earned good money – Anastasiades’ office is among those which offer services for acquiring passports in South Cyprus as part of the ‘Golden Passport’ scheme.
- Jubilant celebrations – Children who filled the parade boulevard watched the shows with great interest.
- Big difference – More than 600 passengers are arriving in the north every day whereas there are 6000 tourists arriving in the South.
Being “rescued” is worse than being occupied
Insults and defamatory remarks poured in following our headline yesterday (Monday). According to the law, all these insults could be taken to court but we are against the law therefore we are not going to seek legal action. The insults will only suffocate those uttering them, not those to which they are directed at.
- “It’s easy, send two people and Akıncı will die in an accident.” – Death threats to Akıncı
Main News
Oktay: Solution on the basis of political equality
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process, Energy, Internal Security, External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
“The Cyprus problem can only be solved either on the basis of political equality or on the basis of sovereign equality,” Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Monday.
Speaking during the official ceremony held to mark the 46th anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention in Cyprus, Oktay added Turkey is working towards the goal of making Cyprus an island of peace and stability.
Referring to the conditions prevailing in the mid-70s on the island, Oktay argued that the similar “inhumane attacks” on the Turkish Cypriots continue in the form of isolations and embargoes today.
“Despite all the difficulties, the Turkish Cypriot community has managed to protect its presence on the island…The ‘Peace and Freedom Day’ is the best answer to those who did not recognise the Turkish Cypriot’s partnership on equality and those who kicked the Turkish Cypriots out of the partnership state in 1963 and to those who have made the Turkish Cypriots suffer from 1963 to 1974,” Oktay said.
Oktay added that the solution of the Cyprus problem can only be established on the basis of equality. He argued that the Greek Cypriot side has become more irreconcilable with its unfair admission into the European Union (EU) in 2004.
“The Greek Cypriot side together with Greece today want to disregard the Turkish Cypriots’ legitimate rights are trying to reshape the region today,” Oktay said and reiterated that it is not possible to execute any plans in the region by excluding Turkey.
Noting that Ankara is not in favour of continuation of the status quo on the island, Oktay said and noted the Maraş (Varosha) initiative for the reopening of the town is the biggest example of their words.
“We wish to see Cypriot children running around in joy on the streets of Maraş (Varosha) again,” Oktay said.
“Ankara, with rights and responsibilities emanating from international agreements, will not allow the past pains to be experienced again on the island and will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots in every area,” Oktay concluded.
In his address, President Mustafa Akıncı said the fact the Cyprus issue remains unsolved “causes the accumulation of other new problems”. He said the two sides must strive for a solution that takes care of the rights and interests of all parties.
“We have all observed how desperate even the world’s most expensive and sophisticated weapons-producing countries are left in the face of an invisible tiny virus,” he said, adding that this showed how important it was for humanity to allocate more resources to science, education and research, rather than arms.
“The pain of wars is great. For this reason, each of us must do our part to build a new future in peace and tranquillity on our island, in our region and in the world. This beautiful island is enough for both communities,” Akıncı concluded.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also issued a message to mark the 46th anniversary of the July 20 military intervention.
“Greek Cypriots must acknowledge the political equality of Turkish Cypriots and their equal rights over the island’s natural resources without delay,” Turkish President Erdoğan said in a written statement on Monday.
“A fair and permanent solution in Cyprus is only possible with the acceptance of equal status for Turkish Cypriots.”
The president congratulated Turkish Cypriots on the occasion, “which ultimately eliminated the attempt to harm the rights, freedom and existence of Turkish Cypriots, the co-owners of the island.”
“This operation has shown the world what Turkish Cypriots risk when their fundamental rights are violated, their freedoms threatened and their existence and survival planned to be harmed,” he said.
“Turkish Cypriots … are struggling for equality for more than 50 years… (have) fought despite all kinds of pressures and threats, and claimed their rights and freedom,” Erdoğan continued in his message.
“As always, Turkey will make every effort to protect Turkish Cypriots’ rights and the rule of law. I commemorate our martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for liberation, and our veterans with gratitude and respect. I present my best wishes for the peace, welfare and happiness of our brothers and sisters in the TRNC.”
Also speaking to Anatolian News Agency, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said the Greek Cypriot side and Greece did not agree to an agreement on the basis of equality throughout the decades-long negotiations processes.
“The Greek Cypriot side’s primary objective is to reduce the Turkish Cypriots’ presence on the island while at the same time blocking Turkey in the EU,” Tatar argued.
He added that the Turkish Cypriot side, on the other hand, has always worked towards a lasting agreement.
“Nonetheless, from now, the agreement can only be achieved on the basis of two equal states in line with the realities of the island,” Tatar stressed, noting that prospects of reaching a federal settlement had been exhausted.
Claiming that the north has become a more important place with the new developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Tatar concluded by underlining that any solution on the island can only be based on sovereign equality.
In a separate statement on Sunday night, Turkish Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalın said that Ankara desired the Eastern Mediterranean to be a basin of peace.
Speaking on a Turkish news channel, NTV, Kalın said Ankara advocates for the fair sharing of the hydrocarbon resources in the region.
“When the conditions are ripe, and if it is possible to move forward within the framework that takes the interests of all parties into consideration, Ankara will not object to any negotiations or meetings on the issue of energy as long as these meetings are concluded with an agreement,” Kalın said.
He reiterated the known stance of Ankara and said Turkey is willing to sit down to talk about the issue of hydrocarbons with every country in the region other than the Greek Cypriot administration.
“In addition to Ankara not recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration politically, their interlocutor on the island is the Turkish Cypriot side,” Kalın stressed.
He added that the Greek Cypriot side and the Turkish Cypriot side should start their discussions to solve their problems and overcome the issue of disputed hydrocarbon exploration areas.
“The goal should be to reach an agreement for the equitable sharing of the natural resources,” Kalın concluded.
Turkey’s drillship Fatih begins drilling in the Black Sea
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s first drillship, Fatih, will begin drilling in the Tuna-1 location in the Black Sea, Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said on Monday.
“We will search every square meter of our seas for Turkey’s energy independence, Dönmez wrote on Twitter.
Fatih’s 103-meter-long towers were disassembled in the Haydarpaşa port in İstanbul to enable safe passage of the vessel under the bridges through the Bosphorus before its journey to the Black Sea.
The Fatih drilling vessel set sail for the Black Sea on May 29 from Istanbul to the Trabzon port where it reached its destination for reassembly on June 6.
Energy Deputy Energy Minister Alparslan announced plans to drill in the Black Sea earlier in the year as part of the ministry’s aim to bolster the country’s energy independence by using local natural resources.
Two Syrians arrested by the police while trying to enter the north
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security, Migration and Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Two Syrian migrants were arrested while trying to enter the north hidden in the back of a truck in Famagusta.
The police officer in charge of the investigation informed the court, which was held at the suspects’ absence until their PCR test results came back, that the suspects had arrived by a freight ship from Turkey on July 18, 2020
The court remanded the suspects for three more days until the police conclude its investigation.