Electricity cable from Turkey ‘will mark a new era’

The construction of an electricity cable between Turkey and the north will “mark a new era”, Turkish Cypriot Leader Ersin Tatar said on Wednesday evening.

He was speaking following an Iftar meal, the breaking of the fast after sundown during the month, held in Istanbul by Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz.

The meal was also attended by Turkey’s ambassador in Nicosia Metin Feyzioglu, the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, ruling coalition party leaders in the north Fikri Ataoglu and Erhan Arikli of the DP and the YDP respectively, and Turkish ruling party the Ak Parti’s candidate for the Istanbul mayoral election Murat Kurum, among other dignitaries.

Tatar went on to say that “big ideas” have come to life in the north with Turkey’s support, referencing the completion of the water pipeline from Turkey in 2020, and other “huge investments made in infrastructure and communication”.

He added that he is “continuing our fight to make a TRNC worthy of us for future generations”.

Later in his speech, he said the Turkish Cypriots “continue to be an integral and inseparable part of the great nation of Turkey”.

Cevdet Yilmaz also spoke at the event, emphasising the “historical ties” between the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey.

He added that “this year, the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus peace operation, will be celebrated with enthusiasm and different events.”

Speaking about modern relations between the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, he said they were together with the Turkish Cypriots in every field from transportation to energy and from agriculture to tourism.

“We are with you. We want every Turkish Cypriot, not only on the island but wherever in the world they may live, to look to the future and the future of their homeland with confidence.”

He also made reference to the construction of a new ‘presidential’ palace and ‘parliament’ building for the north in Ayios Dhometios, saying that he expects construction to be complete by November.

In addition, like Tatar, he spoke about the planned electricity cable, saying that feasibility studies have begun in this regard.

Both Tatar and Yilmaz also heaped praise on Murat Kurum, with Tatar saying Kurum had “greatly helped in the opening of Varosha” while he was Turkey’s environment minister.

Yilmaz also claimed that there has been “no proper investment in Istanbul’s capital for the last five years” and said the city is “eating up capital from the past”.

“Istanbul cannot tolerate another five years of this,” he said, adding that he “believes in” Kurum.

Turkey will go to the polls for local elections on March 31, with Kurum set to challenge incumbent mayor Ekrem Imamoglu who belongs to opposition party the CHP.

Imamoglu pulled off a shock victory in the second running of the 2019 election against former Turkish Prime Minister and Ak Parti candidate Binali Yildirim, after the first election had been declared too close to call by Turkey’s government.