TCC Press Review 6 Dec 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

Chaos unseen before

The government has failed in managing the fuel crisis. Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu’s statement that petrol stations should not sell fuel to those crossing over from the south caused a reaction. While the flow of Euros into the country would be of great value following the drop in the value of the Turkish Lira, the Prime Minister’s approach was not only racist but also dealt a blow to the country’s shrinking economy.

Kıbrıs

The country will run out of medicine, causing prices to skyrocket

There is only one factory producing medicine, meeting only 15 per cent of the need in the country. Umut Öksüz, head of the Pharmacists’ Association, warned that the price for medicine in the country will increase significantly in the coming months and serious shortages will be experienced. He asked for authorities to take timely and preventive measures.

  • The fuel oil problem will be solved on December 24While the tankers continued to deliver fuel to petrol stations yesterday, the people with the hope of filling up their cars, rushed to the petrol stations. Şahap Aşıkoğlu, undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy and Energy gave the message that the fuel oil crisis is over.

Havadis

Failed his first test

Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu called the petrol stations asking them ‘not to sell petrol to vehicles crossing from the south due to the supply problems. His call not only failed in solving the problem but also sparked reactions.

  • Killed and then buried (the two women) in his gardenThe two Russian women, missing since November 17, was found. The 32-year-old Syrian suspect, who is under detention, confessed to killing the woman.

Diyalog

A strange situation

We are telling petrol stations not to sell fuel to Greek Cypriots but on the other hand, we are forgetting that our taxi drivers have been forced to purchase fuel from the south this past week for double the price. Taxi drivers who spoke to Diyalog complained that they were forced to cross over to the south for petrol and diesel to continue operating after most stations that ran out shut down.

  • We are collecting tax from Greek Cypriots –The former Economy Minister Erhan Arıklı who reacted to Prime Minister Sucuoğlu’s call said, “We understood the value of those who cross over to shop in the north during the pandemic.”
  • This is not the way to manage (the crisis) – The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman criticized the decision not to sell petrol to Greek Cypriots crossing over from the south.

Avrupa

His owner will also go

One of the heavy guns for Tayyip Erdoğan, Metin Feyzioğlu lost the leadership election at the Turkish Bar Association at the general assembly held yesterday, generating reactions on social media. Feyzioğlu’s defeat was a big blow to Erdoğan. Ahmet Şık, who is an MP from the Turkish Workers’ Party in his evaluation of the election results said: “Feyzioğlu’s boss is next.”

  • Preparing for war? – Turkish Ministry of Defence announced the 39th mechanised regiment held a joint military exercise with the 14th mechanised regiment.

Main News

TC officials condemn arson attack on Grand Mosque in Larnaca

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Turkish Cypriot officials took turns on Sunday to condemn the Greek Cypriot authorities over the arson attack on the Grand Mosque in Larnaca that took place last week on December 2.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu and Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu all harshly condemned the arson attack calling on the Greek Cypriot authorities to catch those responsible and to take deterrent steps against such incidents.

The entrance of the mosque was burned into the incident after unknown arsonists threw what was believed to be a Molotov cocktail. The fire was put out before any serious damage could be done. It has been reported that Greek Cypriot police have arrested one person in connection with the incident.

In a statement issued from his office, Tatar claimed that such attacks were not the first of its kind or a coincidence particularly in light of the recent increase in provocative actions by the Greek Cypriot side in the Eastern Mediterranean. Recalling the past desecrations on religious sites and mosques in the past, Tatar also pointed out none of the perpetrators of the past incidents has been brought to justice.

“I call on the Greek Cypriot side to stop organizing and supporting such racist and fascist attacks on religious sites and to start respecting Turkish Cypriot monuments,” Tatar said, stating that it is his expectation for the Greek Cypriot side to find the perpetrators without further delay.

Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu also condemned the attack which he said had taken only several hours after Pope Francis II departure from the island. “The messages of peace given during Pope’s visit were unfortunately left hanging in the air,” Sucuoğlu said, urging the Greek Cypriot side to quickly find the perpetrators and punish them.

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu in his statement condemning the attack urged the Greek Cypriot administration to “take deterring steps against such attacks.” He said that the Greek Cypriot side had unfortunately remained silent on such attacks in the past.

In the meantime, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack. “We strongly condemn the arson attack against the Grand Mosque in Larnaca, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“As a recent instance of Islamophobia, this attack and similar actions do not only target Muslims but also threaten the common values of humanity and reveal how certain circles are far from the understanding of peaceful coexistence,” it added.


Derya: The economic inequality between the two communities grow

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Economy, Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Doğuş Derya on Sunday slammed Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s for his recent remarks claiming that the Greek Cypriot side was out to destroy the north’s economy.

Tatar, while speaking to shop owners in the old city in north Nicosia, on Sunday claimed the Greek Cypriot side is taking measures to destroy the economy in the north. He further claimed the Greek Cypriot administration “issues monetary fines to people who shop in the north and the goods they purchase are confiscated.”

Tatar also said when taxi drivers cross back from the north they are checked and if they are found to have bought petrol there, they face heavy fines. “The main aim of the policy was to hit the economy in the north and crush the shopkeepers there,” Tatar claimed, promising to take action against the Greek Cypriots.

In a social media post on Sunday, Derya drew attention to growing inflation on both sides of the divide. She said that while inflation was 4.4 per cent in the south, the inflation rate in the north was close to 50 per cent.

“It seems according to Mr Tatar the Greek and the Greek Cypriot duo are the ones who implement the economic policies both in Turkey and in the north, making the people poorer by the day,” Derya wrote in a sarcastic tone, adding that the income per capita in the south is $31,500 and it is nearly $9,000 in the north.

Derya also pointed to the current exchange rate between the Turkish lira and the Euro. “While the economic gap between the two sides grows deeper, Tatar continues to sing the same tune on ‘sovereign equality,” Derya said, urging him to contribute to the proposals put forth to increase people’s purchasing power.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot politicians continued to criticize Sucuoğlu over his management of the fuel crisis. The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman slammed Sucuoğlu, claiming that not only had he mismanaged the fuel crisis but had also that the practice of not selling petrol to cars crossing over from the south was an outdated and racist approach.

The leader of the Rebirth (YDP) party Erhan Arıklı who served as economy minister in the previous government said that the move was extremely irrational as Greek Cypriots brought much-needed cash and money to the north, particularly at a time when the north’s economy was struggling due to the pandemic.


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