The Economic and Financial Protocol with Turkey was quietly signed last week, the event being kept under wraps.
After some delay, signing the protocol means that Turkey will transfer just over TL 3.5 billion in financial aid to the North.
There was no formal signing ceremony, with Prime Minister Huseyin Ozgurgun sending the signed protocol on to Turkey.
The controversial package includes privatisation of the electricity authority. A protest march against the privatisation of TRNC utilities was led to the Ministry of the Interior’s office, by the Trades Union Platform several days ago.
The fact that the protocol had been signed was only made public when recently appointed Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who was visiting the TRNC, announced that the protocol was now being put into effect and that both parties had agreed to its contents.
Reacting to the discovery, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat tweeted that it was a “great burden” to hear from the Turkish side that the deal had been signed, while the local coalition had kept it quiet.
Cyprus Weekly
