"TURKISH" CYPRUS: Rally against economic cutbacks by Turkey - PressTV 110302

http://presstv.com/detail/167907.html
Like a Shakespearean drama, the action here is like a play within a play - a storyline with a powerful sub-plot.


As with a similar rally in late January, the main theme is ostensibly money - sharp cutbacks in the large public sector seen by the unions here as being imposed by Ankara, which exercises considerable control over the economy here in Northern Cyprus.

Turkey is the only country to recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and funds it to the tune of 500 million dollars a year.

It has been angered by the protesters in the north where salaries are much higher than in Turkey - calling them ungrateful.

It has also suggested ahead of the Wednesday rally that Greek Cypriots have encouraged anti-Turkish protesters.

However the rally went ahead , supported by all All of the 40-plus unions in the Turkish-occupied north.

They want to reverse those economic austerity measures that include 40 per cent salary cuts for the civil service and plans to sell off of state utilities and privatise a university.

Many among them see a hidden agenda behind the economic plan, according to a Greek Cypriot expert on the Cyprus problem.

Alongside fears that that Turkey's plans for the local economy will see its public assets end up in the hands of pro-Ankara vested interests, lurks concern among Turkish Cypriots that jobs will go to the ever-increasing number of settlers from Turkey.

The Rally coordinator sees this latest event as galvanising support for the Turkish Cypriots identity and its future in a independent united Cyprus, with banners and chants endorsing that sentiment and going further - with slogans such as "This country is ours, we will govern" and 'foreign forces out, Cyprus belongs to Cypriots.

Ahead of this noisy but high-spirited mass rally, opinion was divided over whether or not it might prompt any kind of financial re-think by Ankara, but more significantly real strains have emerged between Turkey and the part of Cyprus it has occupied since 1974.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Turkish
• Cyprus
• protests

[joshjazant3]

Brothers and sisters. keep it up. to reunite Cyprus. Cypriots forever. 

[tentenusta61]

sikdirin gidin lan ibneler! aç köpekler en düşük çalısan 8 bin lira maaş alıyo yeter sikdirin gidin kuzeye bağlanın bok yedikte kurtardık sizi geçen referandumda gördük sizi rumlar sizi istemedi siz onları istedniz sizden adam olmaz!