Tatar says Greek Cypriots trying to destroy economy in the north

The Greek Cypriot side is taking measures to destroy the economy in the north, Turkish Cypriot leader Erin Tatar said on Sunday speaking to shop owners in the old city in north Nicosia.

The “Greek Cypriot administration,” he said, fines those who shop the cheaper products found in the north, some of which are confiscated at the checkpoints.

He claimed that 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.

Although this is not true, Tatar said the main aim of the policy was to hit the economy in the north and crush the shopkeepers there and that he would take action against the Greek Cypriots.

A day earlier the Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Faiz Sucuoglu had called on Turkish Cypriot petrol station owners not to sell fuel to Greek Cypriots until a problem with supply had been sorted out.

Speaking to the Kipris Postasi portal, Sucuoglu said he needed to protect his citizens and until this difficult time had passed he called on petrol station owners not to sell fuel to cars with Greek Cypriot plates.

He said Greek Cypriots were taking advantage of the even cheaper prices in the north with the fall of the Turkish pound and gave instructions to officials at the checkpoints to fine cars entering with empty tanks and leaving with full ones.

He said with problems in the supply of fuel citizens in the north should not be put in a difficult position because of the sale of petrol to Greek Cypriots.

Leader of the The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhurman questioned what legal right Sucuoglu had to impose such fines.

At least one petrol station, Damdelen said it would not be implementing the policy.