Finance Minister Ahmet Uzun recently answered questions from Cem Kar of Ada TV. In a television program he appeared on about the privatization of Turkish Cypriot Airlines, Minister Uzun said, “If we hadn’t bought it, the Arabs would have,” but in his remarks to Cem Kar on Ada TV, he disclosed that they had asked businessman Ali Özmen Safa not to bid. It turns out that when the privatization of Turkish Cypriot Airlines, which was later nationalized, was under discussion in the past, many investors, including Ali Özmen Safa, were interested, but the government insisted on buying the airline itself and even asked others not to enter the tender. So, who were the Arabs Minister Uzun mentioned? Were they also begged to stay away?
So much for austerity...
While the government is imposing austerity on the one hand, it is also splashing money around on the other. As steep taxes are imposed on heavy vehicles and luxury SUVs, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister Öntaç Düzgün rushes from meeting to meeting in an M5 BMW. One tire on the car driven by the undersecretary, which gets just 20 kilometers to the liter, costs more than an employee’s minimum wage. The Undersecretary to the Prime Minister, who drives around in his late-model car with license plate KF 510, has apparently not been much affected by the latest price hikes and taxes.
Hastürer also rebelled.
Journalist and writer Hasan Hastürer was Nazmi Pınar’s guest on the Keyf-i Ramazan program the previous night. The program was lively from beginning to end, and Hastürer won widespread admiration both for the songs he sang and for his protest, as a member of the community, against the electricity price hike. His comment in particular—“Ministers Just Look On”—was the kind of line that could become a slogan. Hastürer also claimed that the artichokes were hormone-treated and unleashed a barrage of criticism on the government.
UBP heading toward its congress…
The tensions in UBP continue ahead of its grand congress. Strange events took place the previous night during the election of congress delegates at the district headquarters in Lefkoşa. Supporters of Hasan Taçoy cut the electricity to the district building and prevented the elections from being held. The board of presiding officers postponed the delegate election for the Ortaköy organization to a later date. Angry that the elections could not take place, Ziya Güvenir and his supporters stayed outside the party headquarters throughout the night. Güvenir considered what had happened a grave injustice, but his appeals to the board did not change the outcome, and Ortaköy’s delegate election was postponed to a later date.
The most blessed night…
Tonight is Laylat al-Qadr. Ada TV has made special arrangements for Laylat al-Qadr, observed during the month of Ramadan. You can watch the special Laylat al-Qadr broadcast from Nurettin Ersin Paşa Mosque in Girne on Ada TV this evening. May your prayers be answered on this night when prayers are accepted; blessed Laylat al-Qadr to you…