President Akıncı: “We had a fruitful meeting”
Last Friday, 8th July 2016, a meeting was held between the Greek Cypriot Leader, Mr. Nikos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot Leader, President Mustafa Akıncı, which took place within the framework of the intensified negotiations.
In a statement issued following the meeting, President Akıncı noted that issues of citizenship and voting rights were discussed in a “fruitful” and “positive atmosphere.”
Issues relating to the economy and the EU will be discussed in their next meeting, President Akıncı added, where the two leaders will be joined by the co-chairmen of the working groups.
President Akıncı stated that while they aimed to review all chapters before the 29th of July, the chapters relating to “territory, maps, and percentages” are not yet on the agenda and “will be discussed at the very end.”
“We want to conclude discussions on the Cyprus problem as soon as possible,” he added.
The two leaders will meet again tomorrow, with additional meetings scheduled for the 22nd, 26th and 29th of July.
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün with a message on Press Day
Today, 11th July 2016, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün issued a statement celebrating the Turkish Cypriot Press Day.
In his message, Prime Minister Özgürgün sent his kindest regards to all of those working in the media, especially members of the local press.
Press Day takes place on the same day that Saded, the first Turkish newspaper in Cyprus’ history, celebrates its 127th anniversary.
Prime Minister Özgürgün highlighted that sacrifices made by the Turkish Cypriot press “cannot be forgotten”.
“Their work has helped to develop the Turkish Cypriot media which we see today. I believe that we can develop partnerships across all areas of our country which can help us to overcome any difficulties in the future.”
Özgürgün added that as long as the media workers – who perform one of the most difficult tasks in the world – carry out their work without compromising the principles of journalism, they will continue to strengthen democratic ideals and help to build better societies.
Ataoğlu: “Karusos made unfortunate statements on behalf of peace and tourism”
The Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu has called a statement made by the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Yannis Karusos, “unfortunate” for “peace and tourism”.
Minister Ataoğlu was surprised by Mayor Karusos’ statement regarding daily tours and tourist expenditures in North Cyprus.
Minister Ataoğlu noted that “our citizens also spent money, not only in Ayia Napa, but in many other hotels, restaurants and cafes in South Cyprus. This amount is more than that spent by tourists who cross over to the North from the Greek side.”
“Tourists who have been crossing over for day trips on buses are prevented by their tour guide from buying things like water or Turkish coffee. This is a problem which needs to be addressed.”
Greek Cypriot Ombudswoman questions way in which deceased Turkish Cypriot man was transported to North Cyprus
The Greek Cypriot Ombudswoman, Eliza Savvidou, has ordered a probe into a report in Politis, a Greek Cypriot daily newspaper, over the indecent conditions under which the father of a Turkish Cypriot journalist, who died in Southern Cyprus, was transported to Northern Cyprus.
The story, which was published under headline ‘The man in the sheets’, described the ordeal the man’s family had to endure after he died on an operating table in hospital in South Cyprus.
Upon discovering that there is no procedure for transferring deceased persons from one side of the border to the other, the man’s son was able to arrange for a local hearse to transport his father to a crossing point, where another hearse – a Turkish Cypriot one – would pick him up and take him to Kyrenia.
Hearses are not allowed to cross over from the TRNC to South Cyprus and vice versa.
The man was not transported in a coffin but wrapped in hospital sheets, and his son had to place his dead father in the hearse himself.
The transfer from one hearse to the other was as crude as it could have been, the newspaper said. The deceased man was unwrapped from the sheets – so they could be returned – and placed into the second hearse on the street, in front of passers-by.
Further bureaucratic inefficiencies faced the son when he was asked to produce his deceased father’s ID card at the crossing point. The death certificate was only issued in Greek even though, as the paper pointed out, Turkish is also an official language of Southern Cyprus.
The issue of language gave birth to yet more complexities as the Turkish Cypriot ‘authorities’ were also unable to ‘legally’ recognise the death certificate, and the dead man’s wife was unable to use it in applying for her widow’s pension.
The story prompted Savvidou to call the son into her office and have him narrate the problems he faced. The commissioner’s office aims to identify gaps in the procedure, with a view towards creating a political solution.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
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Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
