Front Page Headlines
The fugitive could not escape
The fugitive Alexandr Satlaev who was hiding in an empty house in Doğanköy (Thermeia) was caught three days after escaping from prison in an operation carried out by SWAT. A brief scuffle was experienced between Satlaev and the police as he was being apprehended. Following his capture, claims were made that the apprehended fugitive was subjected to police brutality. Police announced that it has zero tolerance for such actions.
- Tufan Erhürman: “A federation doesn’t disappear just by claiming so” – Republican Turkish Party (CTP): We shall not allow the future of Turkish Cypriots to be sacrificed for the sake of Tatar’s two-state fantasy.” The Turkish Cypriot people will remain committed to the will they demonstrated on April 24, 2004.
- We shall be providing the TRNC with whatever means we are providing for Turkey – Agreements were signed again; new messages of cooperation were given. E-governance, 5G internet and roadworks which were included in the previous Turkey-TRNC cooperation protocols but had not been brought to life were brought back to the agenda with new cooperation agreements signed.
₺2.5bn (€294.2m) in funds expected
The implementation of new projects in the TRNC with the support of Turkey was put into motion yesterday. Delegations chaired by Prime Minister Ersan Saner and Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, following a two-hour-long meeting, signed four agreements. Oktay announced that deliberations for the financial collaboration protocol were underway.
- First direct export to Russia – 2,000 tons of citrus grown in Cyprus, was shipped off to Russia in 80 refrigerated containers.
- The fugitive nightmare is over – Alexandr Satlaev, who had been on the run for four days and chased by dozens of police, was captured in an empty house in Doğanköy (Thermeia) where he was hiding.
Eight signatures, four protocol (agreements)
Agreements on digital transformation, highways, education and local administrations signed between Turkey and the TRNC. The agreements on e-governance foresee the full implementation of e-governance projects in the TRNC. It also entails restructuring of the telecommunications department through a public-private partnership. The Highways Masterplan 2021-2022 implementation agreement entails maintenance of 322km of roads throughout the TRNC.
- Federation is the only option – The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) harshly criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and TRNC President Ersin Tatar for their statements claiming that the federation solution model was dead.
- He hid in an empty house – Fugitive Russian Alexandr Satlaev was captured in Doğanköy (Thermeia) following a three-day chase.
- All done with just one order – Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 40,000 doses of Sinovac would be delivered to the TRNC within two hours and the vaccines were delivered.
- He waited for the police with a bloody knife in his hand – A 59-year-old man stabbed his 52-year-old wife and 20-year-old son to death in south Nicosia yesterday. The murderer fled from the scene and was captured in an empty shed near Tseri village.
Our security forces are our pride
Russian inspector Alexandr Satlaev escaped from the central prison on February 8 at 6pm and was caught at 6pm yesterday. Security forces succeeded in capturing the fugitive after three days. Satleaev was a convicted rapist in Russia who committed theft in Kyrenia after escaping from his country to North Cyprus. It has emerged that he also raped a woman in Kyrenia.
- What else could we want? –Turkey sent 40,000 doses of vaccines via a private plane and will now be renewing our village roads and completing our unfinished dual carriageways.
Our heroic police… Shame on you
Our police who could not catch nine fugitives in three years successfully apprehended the Russian fugitive in three days! We have witnessed such scenes (illustrated with a photograph) in the northern part of Cyprus, where human rights are disregarded and felt shame. (The Russian fugitive’s) hands are cuffed behind his back and (the police) are pulling his hair! Praise poured in for the brave police officers on social media! While people lined up to congratulate the police, no one dares to question why our brave and heroic police have not been able to find and capture the nine men who attacked our newspaper or those responsible for Kutlu Adalı’s murder 25 years ago.
- 103 positive coronavirus cases and one death in the south, 48 cases and one death in the north…
Main News
Agreements signed for new infrastructure projects in north
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Economy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Several agreements were signed between Turkish and Turkish Cypriot officials on Thursday as part of the Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay’s two-day visit to the north.
The agreements are for joint projects on areas such as e-governance; collaboration on higher education, local administrations and transportation. Agreements were also struck on renewing or finishing incomplete dual carriageway roads in Nicosia, Kyrenia and the Karpaz (Karpasia) peninsula, completion of the new Ercan (Tymbou) terminal building and runway and restructuring of the telecommunications department through a private-public partnership.
In a joint press conference following the signing of the agreements, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner said that important progress was also achieved in talks for the 2021 economic and financial assistance protocol expected to be signed in the coming weeks.
Saner said the protocol will focus on the service sectors and reviving the north’s economy currently feeling the negative effects of the lockdown measures. He added that the government will be taking a series of new groundbreaking steps on Maraş (Varosha) to speed up the process to rehabilitate the fenced-off town.
Also speaking, Oktay said the new projects and steps would target the north’s tourism and higher-education sectors. He said the north stood at a crossroad, both internationally and domestically and that it was time to focus on the solution of the country’s long-standing economic and political problems.
The Turkish vice president said that Ankara was allocating ₺2.5bn (€294.2m) to the north within the scope of the 2021 economic protocol, mainly to spend on structural reforms, upgrading the north’s energy and transportation infrastructure, increasing agricultural production and modernizing the service sector.
Oktay said ₺3.6bn (€423.5m) had been transferred to the north in 2020, in addition to the other investments including the construction of the pandemic hospital in north Nicosia. The Turkish VP also reminded that Ankara had sent medical equipment and supplies worth ₺15.5m (€1.8m) and 80,000 doses of vaccines to the north.
Shortly after the press conference, a new shipment of 40,000 doses of Coronavac vaccines donated by Turkey arrived at Ercan (Tymbou) airport.
NGOs slam police treatment of recaptured Russian fugitive
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Diyalog, Avrupa
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Human rights related non-governmental organisations in the north were up in arms on Thursday night after photos emerged on social media of the captured Russian fugitive Alexandr Satlaev being subjected to excessive force by police.
The fugitive had escaped from prison earlier last week and was captured by police in Doğanköy (Thermeia) on Thursday evening after a massive three-day manhunt that included special ops, helicopters and sniffer dogs. The chase was live-streamed by social media news outlets over three days thus capturing the attention of the general public at home due to the current lockdown.
The fugitive was waiting for his trial after being arrested in Kyrenia on charges of sexual assault and stealing money from a woman’s purse. According to Russian media, Satlaev had been sentenced to four years in prison for ‘serial rape’ but then fled the country and was hiding in the north.
Photographs taken shortly after his capture showed an exhausted Satlaev with his hands cuffed behind his back while a SWAT officer pulling his hair reignited claims of brutality within the police force.
The five organizations, the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association, the Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation, the Cypriot Refugee Rights Association, the Civil Society Initiative and the Queer Cyprus Association issued a joint statement expressing concern over the incident.
The organisations reminded the police that torture is a crime and that criminals no matter how serious their crimes are can only be sentenced or handed down punishments by courts. They also said that sentences handed down through the rule of law cannot be inhumane or degrading.
The NGOs stressed that international conventions as well as the European Convention on Human Rights, which have been become part of the north’s penal code, prohibit inhumane, degrading and cruel treatment under police detention.
Meanwhile, police stated in response that no acts of misconduct, abuse of authority, cruel or inhumane treatment of suspects or convicted felons will be tolerated. It said that necessary disciplinary measures will be initiated should such behaviour be detected among law enforcement officers.
“The police have a zero-tolerance policy on violence and brutality,” the statement concluded.
Pro-federation parties object to Erdoğan’s remarks on a BBF
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The latest remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his vice president Fuat Oktay on Wednesday that a federal settlement was no longer an option were met with disapproval by the pro-federation parties in the north.
In a post on social media, the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman said, contrary to claims, a federal solution was still the only option.
“A federation settlement will not disappear just because you say so,” Erhürman said as he drew attention to the positions and statements made by the international community in favour of a bizonal, bicommunal federal (BBF) settlement. He stressed that a federal settlement remained the only realistic option on the island and added his party will continue to work towards achieving that goal.
In a follow-up statement, CTP repeated that a federal settlement was the only model which could provide a comprehensive, fair and permanent solution to the Cyprus Problem and which could be mutually acceptable to all sides.
“This is what the Turkish Cypriots approved on April 24, 2004, and the Turkish Cypriots will remain committed to preserving that political will instead of sacrificing their future to Tatar’s two-state fantasy,” the CTP stressed.
The Social Democratic Party (TDP) also expressed support to a federal settlement on Thursday. “Federation is a UN parameter,” a statement issued by the TDP’s central executive body read.
Referring to the latest UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2561 as well as statements made by the international community, TDP warned that insisting on any solution model would only harm the Turkish Cypriots. It reminded that the federation model was initially a Turkish proposal and that to abandon it for unrealistic goals would ruin the Turkish Cypriot community’s chances of becoming part of international law.
TDP also urged the sides to resume talks for a federal settlement within the framework of UN parameters reaffirmed at the Berlin trilateral, the Guterres framework dated June 30, 2017, and the February 11, 2014 joint declaration.
The leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay on Thursday approached the issue from a different angle, arguing that the ‘informal’ nature of the upcoming summit proved that there was no common ground for the launch of a new negotiations process.
In a written statement, Özersay said the sides were free to table any ideas at the meeting but it was necessary to put forward convincing arguments in favour of their positions. “It would be necessary for the Turkish Cypriot side to explain to the Greek Cypriot side the benefits of a two-state solution and the Greek Cypriots vice-versa,” Özersay said.
“Mr Anastasiades will need to convince Turkish Cypriots as to why they should agree to a federal settlement after decades of failed attempts,” he noted. Özersay said, unfortunately, the current Turkish Cypriot leadership lacked convincing arguments to back up its position in favour of a two-state solution.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Federal solution still the only realistic option for a fair & permanent solution.
>> TCs will remain loyal to a federal model of settlement.
Özyiğit (TDP)
>> Insisting on other models will harm TCs & ruin their chances of becoming part of international law.
>> Sides should resume talks based on agreement at Berlin trilateral.
Özersay (HP)
>> Nature of informal summit proves there is no common ground for a new process.
>> Sides free to table new ideas but must put forward convincing arguments in favour of their positions.
>> TC leadership lacks convincing arguments in favour of a two-state solution.
Oktay: Forget any bargaining over Maraş (Varosha)
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process, Territory
OVERVIEW
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Wednesday night that Maraş (Varosha) could not remain a ruin and should be transformed by Turkey into “a pearl of Cyprus” once again for the benefit of all.
Speaking to Bayrak during his two-day visit to the north, Oktay said that Greece and the Greek Cypriot side must forget any bargaining over Maraş (Varosha), noting that “that’s over now, I wish you a speedy recovery.”
Oktay said the initiative to reopen a portion of the fenced-off town was a move of goodwill on the part of the Turkish Cypriot side and that the area was now under their control and jurisdiction.
The decision to reopen the ghost town was the north’s and Turkey supported it, Oktay said, noting “is it better for Maraş (Varosha) to be closed and mice to wander about or [is it better to have] children cycling there?”
In view of the informal five-party summit on the Cyprus Problem being organised by the UN Secretary-General, the Turkish vice president reiterated that a federal solution was a thing of the past. Reiterating the Turkish side’s vision in favour of a two-state solution to the Cyprus Problem, he said, “We can talk and negotiate for two separate states that are equal with two equal communities in Cyprus.”
Touching on the hydrocarbons issue, Oktay said the natural resources should create a medium for peace and not conflict. He recalled the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal on co-management, noting that it is still valid and is at the table.
KEY ACTORS
Oktay (Turkey)
>> Maraş (Varosha) should be transformed into a ‘pearl of Cyprus’ again for the benefit of all.
>> Any bargaining over Maraş (Varosha) is finished now. Area now under TC control.
>> Talks for a federal settlement a thing of the past.
>> TC side can negotiate for two separate states with two equal communities in Cyprus.
>> Hydrocarbons issue should create a medium for peace, not conflict.