Planned protests may quash Erdogan’s visit

TURKISH PRIME Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is waiting to hear whether he would be welcomed by Turkish Cypriots before deciding whether to visit the occupied areas this month, according to press reports.

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen reported on Monday that Erdogan was waiting for the Turkish intelligence services to brief him before deciding on whether to visit the north on July 20, the 37th anniversary of the first Turkish invasion.

According to Yeni Duzen, Erdogan has not decided yet because he fears there will be protests and other activities organised against him.

The paper writes that if the intelligence services report that protests will be organised against him then Erdogan will reportedly announce the decision not to visit, using as an excuse his intensified efforts to establish a new government in Turkey.

The same paper cites “rumours” that the Turkish PM’s arrival will be met by protests from Tymbou (Ercan) airport to Kyrenia, with the real possibility of trouble between protestors and the authorities, given the current negative climate in the north.

Thousands of Turkish Cypriots have protested this year against Ankara-driven economic austerity measures, while highlighting fears that Turkey is attempting to drown Turkish Cypriot culture and identity. Some of the biggest gripes against Ankara are the introduction of religious schools and lessons in the north, as well as the sale of the Eastern Mediterranean University (DAU) and Turkish Cypriot Airlines to Turkish interests with reported links to the Erdogan government.

According to Yeni Duzen, Erdogan is expected to take a final decision on whether he will visit the island on July 15.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.