The north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel and Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz signed the latest financial protocol covering forthcoming financial provisions from Turkey to the north, with the deal worth 21 billion TL (€510.5bn).

The protocol foresees the construction of new schools in the north and further efforts to reinforce existing school buildings, as well as for the beginning of construction of a new 500-bed hospital in Nicosia, the completion of the new Kyrenia hospital, and the construction of a new hospital in the Karpas peninsula village of Tavros.

Projects will also be started on the north’s roads, with efforts to be made to “increase the levels of safety” on the road between Kythrea and Kyrenia.

Elsewhere, renovations on the road connecting Lapithos and the nearby villages of Panagra and Livera will begin, while long-awaited renovations on the road linking Rizokarpaso and the Apostolos Andreas monastery will also be carried out.

Two mobile power generators will also be sent to the north from Turkey, boosting the north’s electricity capacity by 35 megawatts through the summer months, while maintenance work on the north’s existing power station will be carried out.

“We get our greatest strength from Turkey. A resource of 21 billion TL was created for projects to be carried out in the TRNC. It means financial support for ongoing projects from education to health, transportation, and industry, as well as tourism and energy,” Ustel said.

He added that 2025 will be “the year of projects”, with further infrastructure projects also in the pipeline.

“We are working for a TRNC which is self-sufficient and stands on its own two feet. We receive the greatest support from Turkey in our journey towards the future. We will achieve our goals together,” he said.

Yilmaz used his speech to call for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.

“The outdated, repeatedly tried solution which does not reflect the consent of both parties will not go anywhere. The solution can be built on the realities on the island,” he said.

He added, “in the upcoming period, we can focus on different projects and increase the prosperity and peace of the people living on the island”.

“We are always ready to carry out joint work with the Greek Cypriot side to increase the prosperity of the people living on both sides of the island.”