What the papers say

“DO we want the nightclubs?” That was the question posed by Havadis newspaper editor Başaran Düzgün this week.

Writing on Wednesday, he told how the clubs, widely known as a front for the sex trade, had originally been located in the cities, often in apartment basements — with flats above used for related “business”. However this had become a “huge problem” for Lefkoşa, in particular, with noisy late-night revellers and frequent fights disturbing local families.

“The demand then was not, ‘close down the nightclubs’, but ‘move them out of town’,” said Mr Düzgün.

“The then government found a location where they were all going to be in the same place. We used to take the mickey out of the then interior minster that he was going to open a ‘Natasha village”.

“Then they all lined up along the Güzelyurt road, with their colourful neon lights.

“They turned into a sector that we are ashamed of but at the same time make money out of.”

Mr Düzgün said he had been “terrified” by a poll about TRNC families which showed that 25 per cent of men aged above the age of 18 were frequent visitors to nightclubs.

“Men interviewed for this poll did not shy away from saying that they frequented these clubs and were vehemently against their closure.

“The time was when nightclubs were opened ceremonially. One was even officially opened by the owner’s 10-year-old son.”

The writer said that, since then, it was “obvious . . . that with the increase in the population, the number of customers of these clubs has increased”.

“No doubt domestic violence has also increased within this framework. But no-one is interested in this aspect any more.

“Why? Nightclubs become news when something happens to the women who work there.

“It is said that they are made to work like slaves, and the issue is being boiled down to their working conditions.

“Had this been the sole issue, though, the problem could have been solved a long time ago. If it wanted, the state could have inspected the working conditions of 400 women every day and given heavy fines to those disobeying the rules.”

Instead, he said, what needed to be questioned was “the existence of nightclubs that are in fact brothels”.

“The question that needs to be answered is very simple: do we want the nightclubs or not?

“Answer this question first, and the rest is easy.”