‘Foreign agencies are interfering’
FOREIGN intelligence agencies are “manipulating” discussions over “technical work” between the TRNC and Turkey, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said on Monday.
He issued a statement after an online newspaper published pictures purporting to show Mr Tatar and Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy visiting Turkish government officials at a hotel in Girne.
Mr Tatar said that the state “closely monitors developments” and that “no intelligence organisation and their collaborators” will be given a chance to “harm the citizens, homeland or nation” and that “all necessary legal steps will be taken”.
“We see that foreign intelligence agencies continue their intervention to our people and country in this election process,” Mr Tatar said in a written statement.
“These agencies are trying to manipulate the technical work between Turkey and the TRNC by showing civilians as if they are officials from
Turkey; they professionally observe Turkey’s work and mislead our society with wrong news.
“These agencies first use internet newspapers for manipulation, which are also established for this purpose, then they express the lies they produce to the public through these newspapers.
“Our people should not worry about these news [items]. No ‘unexplained’ meeting was held, neither by me nor ministers.”
Meanwhile Mr Tatar, who is the National Unity Party’s candidate in tomorrow’s presidential election, visited the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry and businesses and organisations in Lefkoşa on his campaign trail this week.
“We envision a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which has all economic wheels working and seek a secure future with the support of guarantor Turkey,” he said during one of the visits.
“If we win, the TRNC will become more powerful and welfare and prosperity will be promoted. We believe in an equal sovereignty formula.”
Highlighting the importance of investments in the economy Mr Tatar said: “The Old TRNC remains in the past. It has changed in accordance with the changes in the region . . . If we carry out our struggle on the right path, the economy will be stronger.”