General Coodinator Bi-communal Technical Committees
The Bi-communal Technical Technical Committee convened in the Nicosia buffer zone to discuss worldwide developments and the island regarding the new type of Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Technical Committees’ General Coordinator Meltem Onurkan Samani, in her statement, said that Turkish Cypriot members questioned the unilateral decision of the Greek leadership to close four border checkpoints for one week.
Samani recalled that the committee agreed, with the participation of the two community leaders, at the first meeting held on February 3 and the second meeting held on February 20, that Coronavirus had not yet been seen on either side of Cyprus, that there was no need to take any measures at this stage on crossing the borders.
No Scientific Basis
Meltem Samani said at the meeting that the one-sided decision taken by the committee by ignoring the agreed expert opinion, had no technical or scientific justification.
She noted that Turkish Cypriot members also stated that they did not find it necessary to take any countermeasures regarding the borders on the Turkish Cypriot side in view of the absence of any new developments that required changing the decisions taken in the previous meeting.
Direct Flights Continue Between Italy and South Cyprus
Ms. Samani also suggested that the Greek Cypriot technical committee members said that the decision was made in the light of increased risk due to the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in Europe, especially in Italy, and direct flights from Italy, a high-risk region, to Southern Cyprus continued. She stated that there was no convincing argument at this time.
She also noted that this measure has been seen to cause panic in South Cyprus.
Yeni Duzen
