Front Page Headlines
Fuel price hikes are hurting “There are those who buy ₺10 (€1) worth of fuel”
The price of fuel went up again this week causing public outrage. Speaking to Yenidüzen, customers said that people are only concerned with making ends meet and that everyone is struggling to buy bread for their tables.” Petrol station workers reveal the harsh realities stating that there are people who only buy ₺10-20 (€1-2) worth of petrol for their cars and even some who use change to buy petrol.
Unregistered real estate brokers appeared
Many people and mainly the students who come to our country for education are being swindled by people pretending to be real estate brokers. Due to legislative gaps, these swindlers not only cheat people but also harm the work of the registered brokers. Hasan Sungur, head of the Turkish Cypriot Association for Real Estate Brokers, said a foreign national sold 450 accommodation units in three years, earning £4.5m and in Famagusta 15 Iranian students formed a company with the help of a lawyer and are selling properties.
- The Hellim (Halloumi) inspection process is underway.
“The real inflation is about 30 per cent”
Economist Devrim Barçın spoke about the price hikes, cost-of-living allowance and the increase in the minimum wage during a programme on Havadis web TV. He also elaborated on the current economic situation.
- Its glory lasted too short – The minimum wage went over the poverty threshold with the latest increase implemented from September 1 onwards however went below it due to inflation in one month.
He didn’t succeed
The Azeri hitman who shuttled across the north and south before being caught by Greek Cypriot police after raising suspicions was aiming to assassinate an Israeli billionaire, it emerged. The 38-year-old Azeri national who arrived on the island via Larnaca airport before crossing over to the north was aiming to kill Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi. It is being claimed that the suspect who had stayed in the TRNC for a week was watching the office of the Israeli businessman. The hitman who was being followed by Greek Cypriot police and intelligence was caught on September 28 with a silencer in his car. According to information obtained by Diyalog, the TRNC police was not informed of the developments.
Empty envelopes as the award
The Department of Culture could not find ₺10,250 (€1,000) to give to the award-winning seven photographers and gave them all empty envelopes. The photographers who were told there are checks in the envelopes, were shocked when they opened the envelopes. They mocked the photographers!
- Finally, the tender is concluded – SideralLines won the public tender to supply the Turkish Cypriot electricity authority (KIBTEK) with fuel oil.
- Is the assassin contracted by Iran? – The assassin from Azerbaijan who had crossed from the north to the south had been arrested by the Greek Cypriot police.
Main News
Özersay slams Tatar for ignoring TCs’ problems
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The leader of the People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay on Wednesday urged the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to spend his time and energy on solving the problems the Turkish Cypriots face in the south.
Speaking during a TV programme, Özersay accused Tatar of not making any effort on making the vaccine certificate issued in the north accepted globally and to ease conditions for those needing to travel abroad from either the south side or via Turkey.
Criticizing the Turkish Cypriot leader’s recent contacts in New York, He said Tatar wasted good opportunities to have an impact on people’s lives on the island. He highlighted that the people who are going to travel abroad via Larnaca will have to wait for approval from the Greek Cypriot officials to receive a vaccination certificate.
“Even though the Turkish Cypriots are allowed to cross to the south with the same vaccination card, their cards are not accepted for international travel,” he stressed, adding that in addition to those travelling, people receiving medical treatment in the south and parents who take their children across the divide for schooling are made to suffer through various means.
“Mr Tatar should have raised these issues during his meeting with Anastasiades and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres,” Özersay stressed, adding that the vaccination cards issued in the north must be accepted following an adaptation and harmonisation process.
Özersay also touched upon other problems Turkish Cypriots faced in the south such as the failure of RoC officials to continue paying salaries to spouses of insured persons in the south who pass away or the fact that family members of the Turkish Cypriots employed in the south are not excluded from health care in the south because Greek Cypriot officials claim they live in the north.
“Turkish Cypriots who have been deprived of their rights are now trying to find money to file lawsuits but the legal costs in the past had been covered by the Office of the Presidency,” Özersay said. The HP leader said Tatar should focus on the public’s problems instead of touring towns and areas in Turkey.
“Mr Tatar should call Anastasiades and explain to him that these people have rights through the labour law and then make a public statement to prevent the issue being evaded,” he said.
Çelik: “The Blue Homeland doctrine is Turkey’s red line”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy
OVERVIEW
The Blue Homeland doctrine is Turkey’s red line as the sea is an inseparable part of the homeland, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Ömer Çelik said Tuesday.
In a news conference following the AK Party’s Central Executive Board (MYK) in Ankara, Çelik stressed Greece’s maximalist ideals in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean seas have no future. He added the policies based on the false perception that the Aegean or the Mediterranean is their own and ignores the Turkish Cypriot side “are futile attempts that will achieve nothing.”
Stating that Greece and the Greek Cypriots should abandon their maximalist behaviour in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, Çelik said Turkey swiftly responds to violations in the area, as it has recently done so in the past.
Recalling criticisms from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) directed at the government claiming that the Blue Homeland doctrine is an expansionist policy, Çelik said the Blue Homeland, as an inseparable part of the homeland, is Turkey’s red line and Turkey will do everything necessary to protect its rights and interests.
“We are ready to do everything. Our navy has done the necessary over the weekend…What needs to be highlighted here is that Greece is arming the islands that are supposed to be demilitarized according to international agreements,” Çelik said. Notıng that the activities being carried out are within international law, he stressed Ankara is working to protect its rights both in the field and on the table.
“These activities in the Blue Homeland are in line with international law and aimed at protecting the rights of the Turkish Cypriots as well as of Turkey. Many issues can be resolved at the table too therefore it is important for us to use the channels of diplomacy,” Çelik said, adding it requires the same goodwill from the other side.
He warned that if the other side chooses to display an aggressive attitude, trying to create de facto situations, then the Turkish Cypriot armed forces will give a strong response.
KEY ACTORS
Çelik (AKP)
>> Blue Homeland doctrine is a red line for Turkey.
>> Greece’s maximalist ideals in the Eastern Mediterranean & the Aegean seas have no future. Attempts to ignore TCs’ rights are futile.
>> Turkey will continue to protect its & TCs’ rights in the East Med.
>> Turkey will give a response to every move taken by Greece & GC side.
Hellim (Halloumi) waiting for Bureau Veritas
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Economy, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The frustration of Turkish Cypriot dairy producers in the north continues despite that the fact that the European Commission (EC) decision on the product designated origin (PDO) registration of Hellim (Halloumi) came into force on October 1.
While several Greek Cypriot producers have already started marketing their cheese to EU markets, representatives from the dairy sector in the north complain that Bureau Veritas, the company contracted for compliance controls, has yet to get in touch with them
Speaking to Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK, head of the Veterinary Department, Mehmet Yılmabaşar said the department had launched a 36-month long EU financed projects on “Animal diseases eradication project” and “Food safety and Animal diseases crisis preparedness” project – to carry out inspections and to bring the raw milk standards to the requirements laid out by the PDO registration. These components of the project, he said, include ‘milk channelling,’ a cold-chain system for raw milk collection; freeing the farms of any animal diseases and the slaughterhouses meeting with the animal welfare conditions as stated in relevant EU directives and finally the creation of an animal database.
“Nonetheless, even if the Turkish Cypriot farmers and producers are ready, they still need approval from the independent inspection company Bureau Veritas for their Hellim (Halloumi) to be sold to the EU market,” Yılmabaşar said.
He also pointed out that the legislative aspects of the inspections ranging from regulating the foodstuff to medication given to the sheep and goats must also be completed within the given period. Yılmabaşar highlighted the third screening is currently underway on the “Animal diseases eradication” project and is expected to be completed by January 2022. He said there are nearly 4,000 herds of sheep and goats and 900 cattle and 95 per cent of these herds are free of any animal diseases.
He added the current sheep and goat milk output amounts to 3.25 per cent of the total raw milk but the amount will be increased to 51 per cent by 2024. Yılmabaşar noted that the PDO requirement is to have a minimum of 24 per cent sheep and goat milk in the first phase.
Also speaking to TAK, Veterinarian Dürüm Ulucasoy, who is the head of the Public Health unit within the department, said it will only be possible for the Turkish Cypriot producers and farmers to benefit from the PDO registration if the EU projects are successful.
She also pointed out that Bureau Veritas has yet to get in touch with the Veterinary Department to check whether the inspections are done correctly or not. “Even though the Hellim (Halloumi) production in some of the EU member states will cease with the PDO registration, Cyprus will not be ready in time to meet with the demands in the European market,” Ulucasoy concluded.
The minimum wage remains below the poverty threshold
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Economy, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Public Servants’ Union (KTAMS) on Wednesday said the minimum wage in the north continues to remain below the poverty threshold.
In a statement issued by the union, Güven Bengihan, head of KTAMS, argued that the minimum wage is literally melting before the price hikes in the marketplace as well as against the increasing value of the foreign currencies.
He added that as of September 30, 2021, the poverty threshold for a family of four stands at ₺4,470 (€434), however the net minimum wage with the latest increase is ₺4,324 (€420). Bengihan argued the recently established minimum wage contradicts the provisions of the law on the minimum wage making it mandatory for the wage paid to the employee to meet certain standards. He added that the research carried out by KTAMS proved that the net minimum wage is below the poverty threshold.
He added that in addition to the annual inflation rate of 21 per cent which is calculated based on official figures, the government has increased the price of fuel on Tuesday.
“There will be a chain increase in many goods and services as a result of the increase in the retail price of fuel,” Bengihan stressed, warning that the purchasing power of the people will decrease further and worsen people’s economic strife.
Bengihan added that the proposed increase in the minimum wage will not be enough to restore the public’s purchasing power, arguing for the need to make legal amendments to include the minimum wage in the law that regulates giving cost-of-living increments to the public sector once every six months.
CMIRS: Democracy failed in the northern part of Cyprus
Avrupa
Human Rights, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights’ Studies (CMIRS) has revealed in regular and periodic polls that the functioning of democracy in the northern part of Cyprus is worsening.
The three-monthly CMIRS poll results reveal that in September 2021 that the participants gave 3.70 out of 10 for the functioning of democracy in the north whereas it was 3.74 in June 2021 and 4.91 in March 2021.
When asked the participants to rate the president and the cabinet, the average mark given to the top executives in the north was 3.03 out of 10 points. CMIRS in its poll also asked the participants to give their evaluation on the north’s economy, politics, education health and freedom of speech.
In this regard, 68.14 per cent of the participants stated that their economic standing has worsened in the past year while 23.45 per cent said it remained the same. Only 3.01 per cent said their economic situation has improved in the past year.
In an overall assessment, 84.57 per cent of the participants believe that the north’s economy worsened in the past year compared to 8.02 per cent saying it remains the same and only 1.8 per cent saying that it has improved.
Additionally, 68.8 per cent of the participants believe that the north’s economy will become worse in the coming two years. Moreover, 75.15 per cent of the participants said the north’s political situation has become worse than the previous year in their responses in the poll.
74.55 per cent of the participants said the right to education in the north has deteriorated in the past year, whereas 17.84 per cent said it remained the same. Likewise, 75.95 per cent said the same for the right to health services compared to 15.43 per cent saying it remained the same.
62.53 per cent of the participants said the freedom of expression has deteriorated in the past year, compared to 27.86 per cent saying it remained the same. 3.61 per cent said the freedom of expression has improved. 68.07 per cent of the participants said the functioning of democracy worsened in the past year, while 23.09 per cent said it remained the same. 2.41 per cent said the functioning of democracy has improved within the given period.
The happiness index is also in a downward trend, the poll revealed. The participants gave 5.75 points out of 10 for happiness, whereas it was 6.50 in June 2021. 34.19 per cent of the poll participants said they have felt helpless in the last week only compared to 27.8 per cent giving the same response in the poll done in June 2021.
Evaluating the results, Mine Yücel from CMIRS said the poll reveals that the Turkish Cypriot community is going through very difficult days. “The problems faced in the community are growing by the day,” she noted, warning that concerns on the functioning of democracy and freedom of expression in the north must also be taken into consideration on top of the economy.