● First flights,
THE first flight from Britain since lockdown travel restrictions were lifted landed at Ercan airport last night, paving the way for expats stranded in the UK to return to their North Cyprus homes.
Two more fights are due, one this Thursday and another on June 17, as the country moves towards reopening to tourists.
But Transport Minister Tolga Atakan warned people not to rush to buy airline tickets until the situation becomes clearer.
“Do not buy an airplane ticket until you have seen an official announcement that flights are actually starting on the specified date. Just because airlines are selling airline tickets for a specific date, it does not mean that flights [to the TRNC] will be operating on that date,” he said.
Mr Atakan said the 14day required quarantine period for passengers arriving would end as from July 1, paving the way for tourists in being able to return to the country.
Mr Atakan has said however that “strict rules” will be enforced for all people arriving, saying: “Strict rules will be enforced at the airports and all passengers will be required to take a PCR test two or 2+2 days in advance of their travel. All passengers will be required to take out a Fit to Fly (FTF) document.”
He insisted that “as from July 1, “every Tom, Dick and Harry” will not be allowed to enter the country at will.
“The approach of the world is to live with this virus. A new model has been formed for air travel. If all goes well, [ordinary] tourists will be allowed to fly to the country as from July 1.
“Under this framework, we have allowed flights to come to the TRNC from the UK on June 5 (yesterday), June 11 and June 17 – the three flights planned to fly back TRNC nationals.”
He said there were no scheduled flights, but they were in the process of flying back 104 people from Turkey and 168 nationals from the UK – all who will undergo a supervised quarantine.
He said as from June 8 (Monday), they will be allowing the second phase people – ie those with an immigration permit and residency, and students etc, to come. He said they were required to prove their connection with the TRNC by visiting a TRNC Consulate where they would be informed of the 14 day quarantine . Quarantine costs for
TRNC nationals will be paid by the state.
But Mr Atakan said that as from July 1, they hoped to scrap the quarantine requirement, but that there will be scheduled flights at “lower frequencies”.
“An ordinary tourist will be able to come as from July 1, but not, [for example] on June 23 with a scheduled flight, when all conditions has been met.”
The move was announced after criticism from tourism officials and hoteliers, and expat groups against the government for introducing a “staged” system of arrivals.
Non TRNC nationals were excluded even if they owned properties here. Many over 60 expats who own properties relied for many years on a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’with the British Residents Society – where they did not need to take out a residency permit if they owned property in the country. This agreement was scrapped by the government last year.
Meanwhile, Turkish ministry of transport, Adil Karaismailoğlu, said on Wednesday that flights from Turkey to 40 international destinations, including the TRNC, will start in stages, from June 10.
Mr Karaismailoğlu said as from June 10, flights from Turkey will be allowed with the TRNC, Bahrein, Bulgaria, Qatar and Greece.
On June 15, flights from Turkey will start to Germany, Austria, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Japan, Northern Macedonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Singapor, Slovakia, and Tajikistan.
On June 20, flights from Turkey to Holland and Kazakhstan will start and as from June 22, flights will resume to Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, South Korea, Ireland, Montonegro, Kyrgzstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway and Slovakia.