By This post is also available in: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
Northern part of Cyprus is no longer a safe place, contrary to popular belief. We are both importing criminals and creating them.
Those who brought Ersin Tatar to the position of community leader (President) in the 2020 presidential elections, trampling on the will of the Turkish Cypriot community with Ankara’s intervention, and who also enabled the current appointed government to come to power through interventions in the UBP (National Unity Party), did not shy away from designing social life in the country.
They started with education. First, they destroyed bi-communal projects such as ‘Imagine’, then they turned a blind eye to the opening of illegal Koran courses everywhere.
They waged war on teachers and teachers’ unions, applying both economic and psychological pressure.
They tried to intimidate the teachers’ unions, one of the 3-5 unions fighting on the ground, with pressure and attempts to discredit them.
By leaving the influx of people from Turkey and third world countries uncontrolled, they overcrowded classrooms and obliged children to so-called education in jam-packed classrooms.
Gang activity first began in schools. Secondary school children started carrying knives in their pockets, extorting pocket money of younger pupils and beating them up.
In schools where no security measures are taken, a completely different generation is now growing up with a completely different culture.
***
Then they took control of the press. Currently, 90 per cent of the Turkish Cypriot media is in the hands of capital.This capital is either directly Turkish or consists of Cypriot capital groups that act as mouthpieces for the AKP.
For example, AKSA which is sucking the country dry, bought the Kıbrıs newspaper. From there, they are trying to shape the country’s politics.
They know that in a society without a free press, the voices of disadvantaged groups and the masses who want peace will not be heard.
***
They are trying every possible means to facilitate property sales for Turkish Cypriots. They are drafting legislation to grant every Turkish citizen the right to purchase up to 80 donuts of land and three houses.
They are also misusing the Immovable Property Commission to completely Turkify all Greek Cypriot properties in the north of the island.
***
The cultural erosion that has resulted from all this, combined with a lack of oversight, means that crimes such as theft, rape, extortion, murder and assault regularly make the headlines.
In this entirely deliberately created environment, let alone demanding peace and federation, discussing the Cyprus problem and fighting for it, Turkish Cypriots have no other choice but to try to survive economically and socially.
Thus, in such a period and in such a national environment, the demand for peace and a solution by Turkish Cypriots striving to live a humane life is heard only as a faint echo.
However, the fact that the only way out of our position of being outside international law, which is the source of all that has happened, and of being a subordinate administration of Turkey, is a solution based on federation, perhaps constitutes the greatest irony.
While Turkish Cypriots face the loss of their own culture and identity with each passing day, in what area can they effectively fight back?
As young people, left with no living space in the north of Cyprus, leave one by one for abroad, the so-called federalist left-wing political parties, which are supposed to bring peace to the island, are only chasing after coming to power under the conditions of the day.
The responsibility for the isolation of Turkish Cypriots lies with many parties. And things here are no longer as you imagine them to be.
The Greek Cypriot side must intensify its efforts to take steps that will ensure the trust of Turkish Cypriot citizens, act with urgency on this matter, and truly demonstrate its desire for peace.
Otherwise, it will be too late, and the prospect of finding a Turkish Cypriot community to make peace with will be nothing but a fantasy.
This article was first published on 16.05.2025
Source: NORTHERN PART OF CYPRUS: A MINI AKP TURKEY PROTOTYPE
