By Chris Elliott….
Many of our readers will have read about the sad passing of Margaret Sheard, my beloved partner and editor of CyprusScene. com and I felt that as she was a long-term resident (TRNC says, temporary resident) in Northern Cyprus I would like to share again her memories of why she decided to move to the TRNC and make it her adopted homeland.
Whilst we both were contributing news and reviews to the Cyprus Observer newspaper she wrote a series of articles about how and why she chose to move to Northern Cyprus which were fascinating and I will be re-sharing those to social media pages as well as including as a series in our weekly online e-newspaper as this was a clear example of why she and many others chose to live in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Apart from my great sadness at losing her, it troubles me greatly that she as well as other long-term residents in the TRNC are referred to as Temporary Residents when being given permission to stay in the TRNC which in Margaret’s case started when she bought a property and moved to the TRNC in September 2003, which is nearly 19 years ago!
She like so many others chose to have a new home in the TRNC where they continued greatly to its economy by investing and spending their money here and just received permission to stay as a temporary resident and have a pipedream possibility of becoming a Resident or even gaining Citizenship!
The world is changing and so should the TRNC if it ever wishes to gain international recognition and what better than giving expatriates from whatever country Resident status and be able to work part-time or full time for a company with a local work permit and contribute more to the TRNC economy or be allowed to become citizens and play an even bigger role in helping the TRNC gain that essential recognition and support by the worldwide community.
Thinking outside the box could create more opportunities for development for the TRNC.
I absolutely agree. I think after you’ve been living here for at least 5 years. TRNC becomes your home. I have been holidaying here for 15 years, but moved here two years and became a temporary resident. I class TRNC as my home. Maybe a different status such as long term resident asi think citizenship is a legal no way off.