Driving in the north to switch to the other side of the road

Driving in the north will switch to the right hand side of the road as part of an effort to bring it in line with Turkey and put an end to remnants of British colonial rule, an advisor to the transport ‘minister’ in the north said on Monday.

According to reports from Turkish Cypriot press, Alptekin Evmez confirmed that driving will change from the left side to the right side. He did not specify when the change would come to effect.

Özgür Gazete newspaper quoted Evmez as saying “in my ‘country’ both the British three-pin plug as well as the driving on the left have to stop.” This was going to happen “despite the traitors among us,” he said.

“Put an end to pseudo-British colonialism,” he added.

Halkin Sesi carried statements from electronics engineer and lecturer Yusuf Avcıoğlu, saying that Turkey produces the electric vehicle TOGG, while the north produces GÜNSEL. The latter has the steering wheel on the right side but TOGG always produces cars with the steering wheel on the left.

“Why? Are you the enemy of local production? While all car brands can produce a steering wheel on either the left or right depending on the country they will sell it, can TOGG not do so?”

Head of the chamber of mechanical engineers in the north (MMO) Ayer Yarkiner was quoted in Avrupa as saying the idea of importing TOGG vehicles produced in Turkey with the steering wheel on the left was unacceptable.

The transport ‘minister’ made a statement in Turkish newspaper Hürriyet announcing the development, while Yarkiner said a ‘minister’ should not be making such statements.

“Nationalism and love for Turkey is measured as a promise of submission to Turkey’s current government, no matter what.”