Front Page Headlines
‘Delta is coming, careful!
We’ve lost control as we open up. Head of the State Pulmonology Clinic Dr Mustafa Akansoy who spoke to Yenidüzen drew attention to the growing number of cases and warned that new variants of Covid-19 will soon be seen in the country. “The Delta variant is coming, and we need to be afraid. It’s a very dangerous variant that is highly contagious. The variant quickly leads to pneumonia and even the healthiest patients are at risk,” warns Akansoy.
- A 92 per cent drop in ‘arriving passengers’ –The pandemic reality in tourism. According to the Central Bank, a significant drop in arrivals has been seen.
Be careful! “Delta” (variant) is the latest threat!
Don’t let your guard down. The most infectious variant of the coronavirus Delta, which is spreading fast throughout the world, has been identified in the UK, Turkey and South Cyprus. Experts call for measures to be implemented against the Delta variant that has not been detected in the country yet but is seen as a great threat.
- They smuggled a car and switched its number plates – Police arrested three people including driver C.Ş. when they stopped a car during a routine traffic control only to realise that the car was brought from south Cyprus illegally and had a fake plate number.
- We will die if there were another lockdown – Economic organisations are concerned with the possibility of closing the crossings due to a surge in positive cases in South Cyprus.
- South Cyprus in the “red” category – European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control classified South Cyprus in the ‘red’ category due to a surge in positive cases.
The two sides situation worked
They changed the HXT 712 number plates of the Mercedes car they stole from the south to HU 990. The car smuggling that goes on between South Cyprus and North Cyprus was unveiled during a routine police traffic control that took place in Dikmen (Dikomo). It was claimed that B.G sold the old model Mercedes which he smuggled through Beyarmudu (Pergamos) to scrap car dealer H.Ş for ₺4,500 (€437). H.Ş and his brother C.Ş then changed the number plates on the car to HU900. Police who checked the registration of the car in Dikmen (Dikomo) discovered that the car’s documents were forged and that the vehicle was registered to the south.
- I don’t speak on instructions – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the EU Commission President Leyen told him not to give strong messages on Cyprus. He responded.
1 million Euro – Signs of bribery
Is another ‘online betting’ permit being given? The Council of Ministers, which has taken renewal of preliminary permits for betting companies to its agenda, on Monday will discuss giving a company a preliminary permit to open an online betting operation.
- Çavuşoğlu comes to Cyprus to relax – Şener Elcil (KTÖS – Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union) said (Turkish Foreign Minister) Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu comes to Cyprus to play golf and to relax at hotels with casinos. Elcil added he is using the non-solution play as a pretext to his visits.
Main News
Oktay: TCs proved they don’t want federation by electing Tatar
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
On Friday, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay claimed that Turkish Cypriots had made it clear they did not want a federal settlement by electing Ersin Tatar as their leader in the last presidential elections in the north.
Speaking during a programme on Turkish broadcaster NTV, Oktay pointing to the former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı without naming him, added: “We have had some problems and a confidence crisis due to another person who was the head of the TRNC in the past.”
He added that during that period, the north became weaker in the international arena. “As a result, the EU and other countries made good use of the weaker position of the TRNC,” Oktay claimed, reiterating that a new era had started with the new Turkish Cypriot leader.
“We are now able to speak about a structure based on two states and two peoples,” Oktay said. He also noted the relations between the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are much better now. Nonetheless, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Doğuş Derya was quick in responding to Oktay’s claims, saying that the AKP (Justice and Development Party) – MHP (National Movement Party) alliance keep on repeating the same dream that the Turkish Cypriots have abandoned federation.
In a social media post, Derya quoting Sigmund Freud added that repeating the same dream is an issue with the one who has the dream and not about what’s seen in it.
“We are faced with an alliance that keeps the island hostage for their self-interests and that tries to present their dreams as reality,” Derya argued, noting that “However, every dream comes to an end one day when those sleeping wake up.” Derya ended her social media post with a hashtag reading “Federal Cyprus is the only way.”
KEY ACTORS
Oktay (Turkey)
>> TCs have made their opposition to a federal solution clear by electing Tatar.
>> Relations with Turkey have improved following Tatar’s election.
Opening of Maraş (Varosha) without negotiating with the UN will cause new problems, says CTP leader
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman warned that a comprehensive opening of Maraş (Varosha) without negotiating with the UN will generate new problems for the Turkish Cypriots in the international arena.
In a social media post on Friday, Erhürman referred to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s remarks on Maraş (Varosha) that the town’s opening will comply with the UN Security Council resolutions.
“This is exactly what we have been advocating for years,” Erhürman said, arguing that complying with the verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on its own would not be enough for the reopening of Maraş (Varosha).
He explained some of the most well-known UNSC resolutions on the fenced-off town and pointed to the UNSC resolution 550, which asks for the fenced-off town to be given to the UN’s control.
“At this exact point, it is vital to negotiate Maraş (Varosha) with the UN,” Erhürman stressed, adding that respecting the UNSC resolutions is the only way to rattle the status quo in Maraş (Varosha), motivate the Turkish Cypriots for a settlement and to make the Turkish Cypriots a part of the international community and the international law.
“Otherwise, opening of Maraş (Varosha) for visitors or launching a comprehensive opening of the fenced-off town without the UN would only result in new problems for the Turkish Cypriots in the international arena,” Erhürman concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Opening Maraş (Varosha) without negotiating with the UN will generate new problems for TCs in the international arena.
>> Complying with ECHR rulings, not enough.
>> Respecting UNSC resolutions only way to rattle the status quo & make TCs part of international law.
Erdoğan: ‘We will take what’s our right’
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkey will preserve its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and will continue its exploration activities for the hydrocarbon resources in the area, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday during a visit to a Tank and Pallet Factory in the Sakarya district of Turkey.
“Whatever our rights are, we will get them. We will continue our hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus,” he added.
He said Ankara will continue with its seismic research and drilling activities until natural gas is found. Responding to EC president Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks at the end of the EU summit on June 25 about Erdoğan’s visit to North Cyprus, the Turkish President said he did not take instructions from anyone when speaking and would do as he wished.
Erdoğan reminded he would visit Cyprus on July 20 to mark the 46th anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention.
KEY ACTORS
Erdoğan (Turkey)
>> Turkey will preserve its rights in East Med & continue its exploration activities.
Three men arrested for switching number plates on a GC car
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Three men were arrested and charged for illegally smuggling a car from the south after police stopped a car during a routine traffic control only to realise the plate number on the car was fake.
The police officer in charge of the investigation informed the court on Friday that the suspects had brought the car originally with a plate number of HXT712 from South Cyprus on June 25 and entered the north without informing or initiating any procedures at the customs. Furthermore, one of the three suspects had sold the car as “scrap metal” to the other two suspects for ₺4,500 (€437).
Traffic police had stopped the said vehicle with a HU990 plate number on but the police found out that following initial inspection, the Turkish Cypriot plate number was fake, arrested all three suspects.
The court ordered the suspects, who have lengthy criminal records, to be released on bail.