North protest over proposed building permit changes

Turkish Cypriots civil engineers and architects will be going on strike outside the ‘parliament’ on Tuesday, following a proposal from ‘MPs’ to abolish the necessary approvals from the professionals on building projects in the north.

According to reports in the north on Monday, the chamber KTMMOB will be holding their protest due to ‘parliament’s’ attempt to undermine the importance of their profession.

The law put forward by ‘MPs’ from the ruling UBP, YDP, and DP parties would abolish the need for the chamber to give approval for ‘internationally agreed projects’.

KTMMOB’s protest has gained support of Turkish Cypriot medical association, the doctors’ union, the green peace movement in the north, and the Turkish Cypriot bar association.

Gurkan Yagcioglu, the head of KTMMOB, said that the amendment to the ‘law’ on KTMMOB put on the agenda by three ‘MPs’ does not concern the good of society.

Along with the unions and association supporting KTMMOB, main opposition in the north CTP said that they also condemn the move of the ‘government’ to amend the law.

The party said it would clear the path for projects to be created without licences and proper checks.

Recently, a building project in the north that has sparked similar criticism is the Islamic government complex ‘Kulliye’ set to be built in the Ayios Dometios area of northern Nicosia.

In October 2022, Cafer Gurcafer, the head of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association, said that, as an association, they were against the “philosophy of the project.”

“We are going through difficult days economically and so we proposed using this money for other purposes.

“However, especially the Turkish Foreign Ministry was insistent and was determined to build the Kulliye as part of their wider foreign policy,” he said.

The construction of this Kulliye “clearly demonstrates that the intervention in the will of the Turkish Cypriot people is continuing”, said the opposition Republican Turkish Party CTP in a statement earlier this week.

The complex will include a “presidential palace” for the Turkish Cypriot leader, a “parliament building” for the Turkish Cypriot assembly, a mosque and a recreational park, and will cost around 2.5 billion Turkish lira (140 million euros). The project will be fully financed by Turkey.