Turkish Cypriot applicants for the EU Digital Vaccination Certificate have run into problems on the first day, Kibris Postasi reported.
Many complaints had been registered with Greek Cypriot daily ‘Politis’, the report said; the main issue being that an airline ticket is required to obtain the certificate.
This has caused economic problems for some, who fear they might purchase tickets and still not have their applications approved.
Reportedly, the system obliges Turkish Cypriots travelling from airports in South Cyprus to state where they are travelling to and why they are making the journey.
Politis emphasised that this information is not requested of Greek Cypriots when applying for the EU digital travel certificate and therefore violates the principle of equal treatment for Turkish Cypriots.
The newspaper stated that government officials explained that the reason for asking Turkish Cypriots to specify the destination and reason for travel is to give priority to Turkish Cypriot students so that they do not risk losing time from their academic calendar.
Politis also reported that Turkish Cypriots were unable to shop, enter shops and entertainment venues because they did not have a SafePass, leading Greek Cypriot business owners to complain that there had been a serious loss of trade.