Lefkoniko airport dispute escalates with threat of legal action

Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir said on Friday that he would be taking the ‘government’ in the north to ‘court’ over their decision to cancel his company’s contract at the Lefkoniko airport, which authorities in the north recently announced would be turned into an airbase.

Nadir’s company, Resorce Consulting Services Ltd, had previously held the contract for development at the airport in Lefkoniko, but the ‘cabinet’ had decided to cancel his contract, “ignoring the law,” he said.

“No one should expect me to accept the destruction of our Lefkoniko airport project and remain silent. My fight is not for me, but for our people and the TRNC,” said Nadir.

He argued that this decision lacks depth and trashes the works done at the airport, which would provide direct or indirect employment opportunities for tens of thousands of people.

Nadir added in his statement that he would be taking the ‘government’ to court over the decision to cancel his company’s contract at the airport.

On Wednesday, ‘transport minister’ Erhan Arikli said Lefkoniko airport will be turned into a Turkish military airbase.

According to statements he made to Yeni Bakis, the airport, which is already being used to fly drones and planes, will be upgraded to a military airbase for the Turkish military forces.

He said that turning the airport in Lefkoniko into a commercial one had previously been blocked by the ‘civil aviation authority’ in the north, as creation of another commercial airport is blocked.