Front Page Headlines
Businesses are expressing their frustration: “The exchange rate should be fixed for rent”
Businesses that earn Turkish Lira but pay rent in British Pounds express anger: “They should either fix the exchange rate or charge us rent in Turkish Lira.”
- Asya greeted with colourful balloons – SMA patient Asya Polatlı who started receiving Zolgensma medicine at the Makarios Children’s Hospital in the south was hailed with balloons and a celebratory convoy (in the north).
The uncertain wait continues
The amendments to the “Foreigners and Immigration Law” which concerns foreign workers or immigrants who are currently in violation of the relevant law due to either their work permits or residency permits have expired could not be discussed due to the quorum problem in the parliament.
(Telephone) landlines becoming history
The Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTHK) published its electronic communication report. There are 682,433 active GSM line subscribers compared to 80,385 landline subscribers.
- A rally calling for (Anastasiades’) resignation on October 30 – AKEL is demanding Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’ resignation after his company’s name was mentioned in the “Pandora Papers” for tax evasion and money laundering.
Are we done or are we continuing?
The five persons implicated in the sharing of the scandalous video are to appear before court today. Everyone is curious to see how the judge’s decision will impact the National Unity Party’s (UBP) congress. Ersan Saner’s candidacy will be determined according to the judge’s decision. Should Saner insist on running, then he will be coming together with the other candidates to decide the order on the ballot list.
- They are strengthening both on land and in the air –The Greek Cypriot Defence Minister Petrides announced they were to purchase long-range weapons systems.
10 Ambassadors to be declared ‘persona-on-grata’
Tayyip Erdoğan has declared foreign ambassadors ‘persona-non-grata’ for demanding human rights advocate Osman Kavala, who has been in jail for four years.
- These children are not given Republic of Cyprus (RoC) identification – Two sisters whose mother is Greek Cypriot and father is Turkish Cypriot and is living in the south are not being granted RoC citizenship because their grandfather is from Turkey. The RoC citizenship given to their father is not given to his children.
- Cameras to be installed on the Green Line – The government in the south will soon install a camera system on the Green Line that will be capable of recording video and sound as far as the Beşparmak (Pentadakytlos) mountain range.
Main News
Tatar to meet with independent MPs despite no chance of forming a coalition
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will meet with independent MPs in the Turkish Cypriot parliament on Monday to round up his meetings with political parties in an attempt to task one of them to form a new government.
Earlier last week, Tatar had met with the leaders of the six political parties with seats in the parliament. Tatar also reminded that he had met with the speaker of the parliament Önder Sennaroğlu and the Attorney General Sarper Altıncık as part of his efforts.
Following his meetings with the National Unity Party (UBP), Republican Turkish Party (CTP), People’s Party (HP), Social Democratic Party (TDP), Democratic Party (DP) and the Rebirth Party (YDP) on October 20 and 21, he had said he would cease efforts to appoint one of the parties in parliament to form the next government as he believes no one of the political parties was currently willing to form a new coalition.
He expressed hope that the parties will reach a consensus on holding an early election and identify a date for it. “Holding an early election will be in the best interest of the country,” Tatar had said, reiterating his hope for the political parties to identify a date instead of him dissolving the parliament.
Tatar recalled his constitutional right to call for an early election should the political parties with seats in the parliament fail to reach a consensus on forming a new government within 60 days.
Ioannou: “TCs & GCs can live together as they are not any different”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Simos Ioannou, the so-called mayor of Famagusta, on Saturday visited the fenced area of Maraş (Varosha) along with members of the municipal council to see first-hand the scale of the interventions carried out by the Turkish Cypriot side to the areas opened for visitors.
Citing reports from the Greek Cypriot dailies over the weekend, Turkish Cypriot dailies said that Ioannou had three reasons to visit the fenced-off town. “We have come to our town,” Ioannou said, adding that they decided to visit Maraş (Varosha) “to see how the Turkish Cypriot side has progressed, what they have done and what they have opened in the fenced-off town”.
The second reason, Ioannou said is to show the entire world that the “city belongs to the people of Famagusta. “The third, is to send the message that we’ve come in peace, and we are ready to live together, we are ready to resolve the Cyprus issue, we are ready to show that nothing separates the Greek Cypriots from the Turkish Cypriots,” Ioannou said.
Ioannou recalled the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Maraş (Varosha) and said the resolutions show the way for the former inhabitants of the town to return to their homes under UN administration.
Five irregular migrants discovered in the north
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Five undocumented migrants, who were discovered near Güvercinlik (Acheritou) village on Sunday, have been placed at a dormitory in the north until their deportation procedures are completed, it was reported on Monday.
The Syrian migrants have informed the police they came onshore from an unauthorized point of entry and then were dropped off near Güvercinlik (Acheritou) village in order so that they can cross to the southern part of the island.