Turkish Cypriot trade unions are protesting against the interim economic protocol ‘lifesaver’ from Ankara agreed earlier this week, saying that the deal is a smokescreen for Turkey to enhance its control in the north and where the native Turkish Cypriot community is diminishing.
The ruling coalition signed an interim economic protocol which will see the Turkish occupied north receiving an emergency injection of TRL 750 mln (EUR 118 mln) for the rest of the year while agreeing to a number of economic reforms to which trade unions have reacted.
The interim protocol, essentially a memorandum of understanding, was signed by the head of Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition Ersin Tatar and Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay during Tatar’s visit to Ankara during the weekend. The Turkish Cypriot premier was heavily criticised for acting in secrecy, not informing the opposition of his intensions.
The financial aid has ignited reaction from the trade unions with the Union Platform calling on the Turkish Cypriot community to take to the streets “to protect their communal identity.”
The platform, composed of some of the most powerful unions in the north, including the elementary and secondary education teachers (KTOS and KTOEOS) and the civil servants’ union KTAMS, have called on Turkish Cypriots to reject the protocol by organising a general strike and broadening the resistance against a financial package aimed at altering the identity of the community and making the working class poorer.
Talking at a press conference on behalf of the platform, the General Secretary of KTOS Sener Elcil called the protocol a threat to the existence, identity and culture of the Turkish Cypriot community.
He argued that the protocol was “designed by Turkey in order to impose their political agenda, while the government signed for the sake of keeping their positions and for money”.
Elcil called the Turkish Cypriots to a struggle that will allow the community to stand on its own two feet and eventually take its place as an honorable partner of a federal united Cyprus.
Coalition leader and head of the National Unity Party (UBP), Tatar presented the interim protocol at a press conference on Tuesday. He called the protocol a “life jacket” for the economy thrown by Turkey. His words were interpreted as criticism to the previous coalition which did not sign a protocol with Turkey due to suggested disagreements over economic reforms.
The previous coalition made up of four parties ranging from the left to the centre right, had ruled for 15 months without any financial aid from Turkey.
According to the protocol, the Turkish Cypriot coalition made up of UBP and the conservative People’s Party (HP) led by the Turkish Cypriot former negotiator Kudret Ozersay, has promised Turkey a number of economic reforms in return for the cash injection.
The memorandum signed between the two sides foresees a 10% saving in spending in the public sector. According to Tatar, public servants’ wages will not to be affected. As he announced, a freeze on new recruitments will be imposed. New civil servants will only be hired to replace those who retire.
The UBP-HP has also undertaken the responsibility to oversee the split of the Turkish Cypriot electricity authority (Kibt-Tek) into two entities which will be in charge of electricity production and distribution with essentially the creation of a transmission system operator (TSO).
Furthermore, the public telecommunication department, which currently has the monopoly on landlines in the north, is to be partly privatised and will function as a quasi-state organisation.
Other reforms stated in the interim protocol include “control over collective agreements made with workers of entities such as municipalities and local councils.” Any collective agreement must be approved by the finance office in the north.
The Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition will also have to draw up a strategic plan regarding a road map towards setting up a general health system.
