Front Page Headlines
Everywhere closed except for pharmacies and bakeries (online headline)
It’s the third day of the full lockdown in force to prevent the spread of the virus. All sectors, except for pharmacies and bakeries remain closed today and next Sunday, February 14. Only essential services will remain open during the lockdown which will be in force until February 15.
- South opening –South Cyprus is preparing to ease tomorrow restrictions adopted as part of the fight against coronavirus.
- South ranks 2nd highest among EU member countries for coronavirus testing.
Street curfew in its third day (online headline)
Today is the third day a full lockdown was introduced by the government in an attempt to slow down the spread of coronavirus cases in the country. All sectors, except for essential services have halted as of Friday night until February 15. Only pharmacies and bakeries will be open today and on Sunday, February 14.
- A 62-year-old man dies from Covid-19.
N/A due to lockdown
N/A due to lockdown
Main News
Tatar to raise vaccine issue with top EU officials
Yenidüzen
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar on Saturday said he would be raising the issue of coronavirus vaccines reserved for the Turkish Cypriot community when he meets with top EU officials in the coming days.
In a written statement Tatar’s spokeswoman Berna Çelik Doğruyol said the Turkish Cypriot leader will be undertaking an initiative to have a clearer timeline for the delivery of vaccines to the north.
Tatar is set to meet with Mario Nava, Director-General of the Structural Reforms Section of the European Commission on Thursday and EU Commission Vice President Josep Borell on February 19.
The latest batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for the Turkish Cypriot community was delivered to the north on Friday morning through the Metehan (Agios Domethios) crossing point.
The delivery of 2,250 doses of the vaccine was organised by the members of the bi-communal technical committee on health.
Tatar had also asked UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during their meeting on Thursday for a share of the AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine delivered to the south.
He pointed out that around 10,000 British nationals were living in the north and about 300,000 Turkish Cypriots in the UK.
Meanwhile, a deafening silence prevailed in the north on Sunday, the third day of the ten-day full lockdown until February 15. All streets and roads were empty as only pharmacies and bakeries remained open.
None of the dailies went into print as all supermarkets and kiosks were closed. Supermarkets, petrol stations and a few other essential services will reopen on Monday for limited hours.
Tatar briefs British expats on meeting with Raab
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar on Saturday briefed members of the British Residents’ Society (BRS) based in the north regarding his meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last week.
Underlining the importance of Raab’s visit to the island ahead of the 5+1 Cyprus informal meeting, Tatar repeated his view that he will be will presenting his vision for “a fair, realistic and viable solution” to be attained through a two-state partnership where the entities will have sovereign equality and equal international status.
He noted that the Turkish Cypriot side will be going to the informal summit with a constructive mindset.
Giving an account of the missed opportunities and the injustices perpetrated against Turkish Cypriots, Tatar said he told Raab that insisting on a failed method of talks, that is, a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF), would only serve to perpetuate the status quo on the island.
Tatar pointed out that he also raised the prospects of strengthening bilateral relations and commercial ties with the UK now that it had left the EU.
Opposition slams government over minimum wage blunder
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs
Economy
OVERVIEW
Both the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Social Democratic Party (TDP) slammed the government on Saturday for its inability to maintain harmony within the minimum wage committee comprised of representatives of employees, employers and the government.
“The government failed to comprehend the seriousness of the matter,” CTP said in a statement on Saturday, stressing that the fashion in which the new rate was set had violated the law.
The main opposition pointed out that the employers’ representatives were not present at the meeting, a legal requirement when setting the rate, and that the workers’ representatives had not signed the agreement.
TDP MP Zeki Çeler echoed the same message, stressing the new amount set was not legitimate.
He pointed out that the workers were not pleased with the new rate and that the amount should have been higher given the economic difficulties workers were experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Çeler urged the authorities to reconvene the commission without further delay and to reach an understanding with all the parties before the matter is taken to court. “The new amount must meet with the demands and the needs of the workers,” Çeler concluded.
The Turkish Cypriot Ministry of Labour and Social Security on Friday announced the new minimum wage as ₺4,400 gross (€517), which will come into forces on February 1. The decision was taken in the absence of employers’ representatives and despite objections by the workers’ representatives.