Results of a survey show that the Cyprus problem is one of the main topics of discussion in the Turkish Cypriot community, followed by the economy and unemployment.
Over half of the participants who took part in the poll believe that the economic situation in the north will get worse over the two years, a report by Funda Gumush for Cyprus Weekly says.
According to the survey, which is taken every three months by the Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights Study (CMIRS), the “happiness” indicator had fallen a little compared to previous polls. Respondents in January 2016 marked a happiness rating of 6.38 out of 10, whilst June 2016 figures dropped to 5.81. This has fallen slightly further as October figures showed a rating of 5.66.
Director of CMIRS Mine Yucel, said that “January and April figures were high as a new coalition [government] had been formed and people’s expectations of the Cyprus negotiation process were high. However, the coalition did not deliver on their promises and the prospects of the talks looked bleak, thus resulting in a low ‘happy’ indicator,” she added.
Noting that this could influence how people vote in a referendum on the Cyprus settlement, she said:
“The decline in people’s optimism towards the Cyprus problem could also be reflected in the way people vote in the event of a possible referendum. It might be possible to say that low desire and positivity towards a settlement could be reflected in a drop in yes voters.”
Cyprus Weekly
