Russia-Ukraine war ‘should be turned into an advantage’ for hellim producers
THE war between Russia and Ukraine should be turned into an “advantage” for hellim producers in the TRNC, the head of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry (KTSO), Ali Kamacıoğlu, has said.
Mr Kamacıoğlu made the comments during an interview with BRT TV during which he said that the KTSO is searching for new markets outside of the EU.
The KTSO is planning to enter the Russian market by organising a trade visit to Moscow with the Turkish Exporters Assembly at the end of November, he stated.
“Our main argument here is to take our hellim producers to Russia and enter the Russian market,” he said.
“It means turning this war [in Ukraine] into an advantage. Currently, Russia is having trouble buying products from Europe.
“It could be a very interesting market for us if we can turn their disadvantage into an advantage and enter the Russian market after our hellim producers here get in touch with a few Russian companies.”
‘DISREGARDED’
In the interview, Mr Kamacıoğlu also accused the Greek Cypriot side of Cyprus of ignoring the interests of Turkish Cypriot hellim producers in its negotiations with the EU over the implementation of the hellim/halloumi “product of designation” (PDO) criteria.
Mr Kamacıoğlu noted that, according to the criteria determined by the EU, milk from goats or sheep must make up at least 50 per
cent of the milk content in hellim by June 2024 but that at the moment there is a shortage of such milk in both the TRNC and South Cyprus.
Mr Kamacıoğlu also pointed out that the Greek Cypriot side tried to “act unilaterally” by “disregarding” hellim producers in North Cyprus.
Noting that an “unannounced meeting” was held in South Cyprus and that “new arrangements” were made regarding hellim registration, Mr Kamacıoğlu claimed that the aim of the meeting was to extend the 2024 deadline to 2029.
Mr Kamacıoğlu announced his intention to inform the authorities in Brussels in writing via a lawyer based there that the issue is “proceeding without our knowledge”.
In April 2021 the European Commission registered hellim/halloumi as a PDO to protect the “valuable name against imitation and misuse across the EU” meaning that only helium produced in the island of Cyprus “according to the product specification” can bear the name.
The European Commission also adopted a measure allowing the “PDO product to cross the Green Line, provided that the cheese and milk from which it was made has met all EU animal and public health standards” so that producers in the “Turkish Cypriot community” could draw “full benefits” from the PDO.
In April of this year the European Commission announced plans to establish an “informal working group” for the “exchange of information as well as the sharing of experience and good practices among stakeholders relating to their participation in the PDO scheme”.
It said that group, to be compromised of 10 Greek Cypriots and 10 Turkish Cypriots, would also “review the functioning of the inspection system” for hellim during meetings to be held “periodically”.