Front Page Headlines
“He tested positive and fled the country by boat”
Şevket Yıldız who was on vacation at the Colony Hotel (Kyrenia) fled the country via ferry after learning that he had tested positive for coronavirus. The health ministry informed the police the individual had tested positive but it emerged that he had boarded the ferry back to Turkey before anyone could get a hold of him. Health Minister Ali Pilli said that the individual had violated the law and committed a crime by fleeing. The issue was discussed with Turkish officials. All hotels will be signing a declaration (for guests) from now on.
- New statement from Prime Minister Tatar: Passengers will remain in isolation until PCR tests are announced. Hotels will sign declarations.
- South places UK in group B – They will be allowed to enter with a negative PCR test carried out 72 hours before arrival.
₺3m (€375,000) vanished in thin air
KIBTEK (Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority) is getting ready to launch a tender, which it will earn a profit from. Nonetheless, in 2018 KIBTEK had paid $435,000 for the same “bottom mud collection” (fuel oil residue) tender for the Teknecik Power Plant. Speaking on the new tender to be launched from which the KIBTEK is expected to make a profit from, KIBTEK Board Director Selim Gökbörü said he did not know why the authority had paid money for a similar tender in the past. He also said that the company to which the tender had been awarded in 2018 was banned from taking part in any of KIBTEK’s tenders.
- Escaped from the TRNC – One of the two positive cases fled the hotel he was staying at when his second PCR test came back positive. The passenger had arrived seven days ago. Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli said his ministry has been in touch with Turkish officials regarding the whereabouts of the passenger who escaped the north. Pilli also said he violated the law.
- The PCR test requirement every 15 days for those crossing to the south regularly abolished.
Sulking partners
The rift between the coalition partners is growing by the day. The National Unity Party (UBP) continues with its efforts to form a new coalition with the Democratic Party (DP) and the Rebirth Party (YDP) to get rid of the People’s Party (HP). However, there is now a “written declaration” crisis in the new government. According to information obtained by Havadis from circles close to the UBP, the YDP insists on two ministerial seats. On the other hand, the UBP MP Hüseyin Özgürgün, who lives in Istanbul now, demanded a written assurance that his trial on corruption charges will not be carried forward so that he can vote in favour of the UBP-DP-YDP government.
- There is no governance – Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman evaluated the latest developments with the members of the media.
- One PCR is sufficient – Turkish Cypriots who study, receive medical treatment or work will no longer be required to renew their PCR tests every 15 days.
- “The Dr Burhan Nalbantoğlu Hospital should not be a pandemic hospital” – Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association together with 12 civil society organisations (CSOs) warned the government once more on the issue of a pandemic hospital.
- The latest situation: North 135 cases, four deaths; South 1,060 cases, 27 deaths; Turkey 227,019 cases, 5,630 deaths.
40,000 students left
The future of 14,000 people employed at universities will depend on the measures to be taken until August. Experts say that economic difficulties will be experienced if universities do not succeed in attracting a sufficient number of students. The head of the Department of Higher Education and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Education Ziya Öztürkler said that 40,000 students had left the country during the pandemic process.
- The difference is great – While the dams in South Cyprus hold 265m cubic metres of water, the dams in the North currently hold 3m cubic metres.
Isn’t there any punishment for the hitman?
Police which is focused on the insults and defamatory remarks in a video posted against Akıncı has not done anything about Mustafa Pişken, who has threatened the president with his life. Pişken, who served in the Turkish General Staff and in the Special Forces in 2000, had said: “It’s easy, just send two assassins and Akıncı will die in an accident.” Akıncı’s spokesman Barış Burcu said the Akıncı had filed two complaints to the prosecutor’s office, one regarding the video and the second regarding a social media post. Burcu said: “It is imperative not to overlook death threats to preserve and maintain a democratic environment.”
- Look at that! He escaped when his test came back positive – One individual, who had tested negative in Turkey, had arrived in the north however when his second PCR test result came back positive, he fled the Colony Hotel and got on board a ferry to escape to Turkey.
- Two new cases in the north – Continuing with the imported cases. Three new cases identified in the south.
- A police raid on Cenk Hoca – Hoca who insulted Akıncı via a video posted on social media, was detained by police at the quarantine hotel he was staying at. The police seized his mobile phone.
Main News
Turkey will not wait for a solution forever, says Turkish VP Oktay
Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy, Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Monday said that Turkey will not wait forever for a solution to the Cyprus Problem and will do whatever is necessary to protect its rights and interests in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Oktay, speaking in an interview with Turkish daily Milliyet, said that games were being played against Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Turkey has become a regional power. It is clear that none of the games being played against Turkey in the region will work,” he said.
The Turkish Vice President said that attempts were being made to cut off Turkey from the Eastern Mediterranean and to exclude it from the energy equation in the region.
“Imagine you set sail from Mersin, Turkey but you have no way of accessing the Mediterranean. You would need to go all the way to Syria down to Lebanon and Israel before making it to open seas. Can you expect Turkey to say yes to such a thing? Ankara will never accept this,” he said.
Oktay said that the same game was being applied in the Aegean with the Greek islands.
“We see the same games played in Crete being attempted in Cyprus. The Turkish Muslim population of Crete had been wiped out. If they want to talk about genocide they should look at Crete. If they want to see genocide they should look at what they did in Cyprus after 1960,” he said.
Oktay pointed out that the maritime agreement signed with Libya had foiled all plans against Turkey being carried out via South Cyprus.
He added that the demilitarisation of the Aegean islands was among Turkey’s red lines and that all legal efforts had been launched.
Explaining that Turkey desires peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, Oktay said that this would only be possible through sharing the region’s wealth and that region’s resources constituted an important opportunity.
“This is the message Turkey is giving. Abandon these games. Come and sit so we can talk. Let’s find a win-win solution. This is what Turkey is declaring to the world, to the EU, the US and Russia,” he added.
Oktay said that Turkey was too powerful a country to be contained to its shores.
“The Eastern Mediterranean is our blue homeland and our red line. A solution on the basis of sovereign and political equality as well as the fair distribution of the island’s resources are our red lines,” he concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Oktay (Turkey)
>> Turkey will not wait forever for a solution to the Cyprob & will do whatever is necessary to protect its rights & interests in the Aegean & East Med.
>>Turkey is a regional power. None of the games being played against Turkey in the region will work.
>> Turkey cannot be encircled or trapped to its shores. Ankara will not accept this.
>> Aegean & East Med red lines for Turkey.
>> Turkey desires peace, stability & prosperity in the region.
>> Peace, stability and prosperity only possible through sharing the region’s wealth. The region’s resources constitute an important opportunity.
>> This is Turkey’s message to the world.
>> East Med is Turkey’s blue homeland.
>> A solution in Cyprus on the basis of sovereign & political equality as well as the fair distribution of the island’s resources are Turkey red lines.
TCs working, studying or recieving treatment in South don’t need to be restested every 15 days
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The requirement for Turkish Cypriots working, studying or receiving medical treatment in the South to undergo PCR testing every 15 days has been lifted, the contagious diseases committee in the north announced on Monday.
Previously all Turkish Cypriots working or receiving education and medical treatment in the south were required to be retested every 15 days.
The decision stated that no positive cases had been detected in individuals crossing back and forth to the south.
The statement added that individuals who cross regularly for work, education or medical treatment will still be tested randomly at crossing points.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar announced on Monday that all arriving passengers in the north will remain in isolation until their PCR results are announced.
Tatar was speaking after meeting with trade unions representing staff working at Ercan (Tymbou) airport as well as the Kyrenia and Famagusta ports, which had staged a warning strike after the government refused to meet their demands.
Earlier on Monday, the trade unions issued a press statement calling on the government to introduce a short quarantine for all arriving passengers until their second PCR test results are announced.
He said that stricter arrangements will be made to ensure that arriving passengers will remain in isolation at their hotels or their places of residence until their second PCR tests carried out upon arrival come back.
Tatar said that those violating the self-isolation rule will be subjected to legal prosecution.
He explained that around 2000 people were arriving in the north daily and that only 25 people had been detected with COVID-19 since the north was opened to foreign arrivals on July 1.
“The majority of these patients have recovered and have been discharged. There are currently only three-five people receiving treatment,” Tatar said.
He added nevertheless that this should not be a cause for complacency.
Regarding the issue of the pandemic hospital, Tatar said that a 45-bed capacity outpatient clinic had been converted into a pandemic clinic.
In the meantime, the north was shocked with the news that a Turkish tourist who tested positive for COVID-19 fled the country via ferry after learning that he had been infected.
Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli told Yenidüzen that the individual had violated protocol by fleeing instead of being tested a second time.
He said that hotels will be held liable from now on for all guests who fail to comply with the isolation rules.
CCTV footage from the hotel security cameras showed the man hurriedly left the hotel lobby.
Four hotel staff members who are believed to have come in contact with the man were placed in quarantine, the health ministry said.
Çetinkaya requests meeting with CFA over its rights
Diyalog
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot football club Çetinkaya has requested a meeting with the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) to enquire as to why it has not been receiving assistance provided to other member football clubs, Diyalog newspaper reported.
The daily, citing sources, reported that the football club, which is an official CFA member, wants a meeting with the governing body to ask why it has not been receiving any rights for several years.
According to the report, though Çetinkaya requested an appointment from the CFA administration, there has been no response yet, but the football club is determined to see the issue addressed.
The club which established a committee and has been working on the issue for the past two months plans to send CFA an official letter after the upcoming Bayram holiday, which ends at the beginning of August, requesting a response to their request.
Chairman of the club Ceran Tunalı, said their aim is not to be allowed to play football in the south but to enquire about the club’s rights and demand them.