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By Richard Beale…. Another friendly match, another 1-1 draw but this time this was a very enjoyable entertaining match that could have gone either way. Results: ESENTEPE KKSK 1 MORMENEŞKE GBSK 1 Wednesday, August 30: Friendly Match: Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium. Both teams are League 1 rivals and at the end of the forthcoming new season, I expect both clubs to finish in the top 6. Though this was only a friendly match, it was very competitive at times it felt like a genuine League 1 match, both teams wanted to win this match. Mormeneşke had the better of the first half and Esentepe were the better team in the second half, creating some decent chances that they should have taken. Esentepe goalkeeper Osman was badly at fault for the Mormeneşke goal but also kept his team in the match making a couple of fine saves to make up for his error. Esentepe continued looking at signing a central stopper having previously given trials to two players from Turkey they now turned their att...

Tatar: “There can be no significant development in the Cyprus issue until common ground is found” President Ersin Tatar made assessments to the press following his meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas in the United Nations Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs, Miroslav Jenča. In his statement, Tatar said that Jenca's visit, before the 78th UN General Assembly in New York in September, was aimed at finding out whether common ground exists between the two sides for formal negotiations. Regarding the construction work going on in the Pile-Yiğitler road, another subject that was discussed,   Tatar stressed that he explained to Jenča that the matter was a humanitarian one and should therefore be treated in this context. Tatar noted that roads, constructions, universities, shopping centres, etc., which were built by the Greek Cypriot side in the Buffer Zone were not interfered with by UNFICYP. In addition to this, nearly...

President Ersin Tatar received the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas in the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Miroslav Jenca at the Presidential Palace. President Tatar’s Special Representative Ergün Olgun, some members of the negotiation team, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Colin Stewart (UNFICYP), and some other UN political affairs authorities were present at the meeting. Source: TRNC Public Information Office https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/30/president-tatar-receives-un-assistant-secretary-general-jenca/

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regarding the Attack on İbrahimağa Köprülü Mosque “We strongly condemn the attack on İbrahimağa Köprülü Mosque in the city of Limassol of the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), which was perpetrated in the early hours of Saturday 26th August at 01:10 am. The fact that this mosque of great significance in terms of historical and cultural heritage has been attacked for the second time following a previous attack carried out in June of 2020, is a clear indication that the Greek Cypriot side is inadequate in meeting its responsibilities towards the protection of places of worship and prevention of Islamophobia.  Such attacks not only damage the confidence between the two peoples on the island, but also target Muslims all over the world, threaten common values of all humanity such as inter-religious tolerance, and reveal the vast distance on the island to the notion of coexistence in harmony.  We demand that those responsible for the inc...

UN does not respond to allegations of double standards between parties in Cyprus The UN did not explain why it tried to prevent the construction of a humanitarian road connecting the Pile and Yigitler villages in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) but took no action against projects initiated by Greek Cypriots. An Anadolu reporter asked UN associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino about the response of the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to actions by the Greek Cypriot administration and the TRNC, during a news conference. The reporter cited occasions, including those in 1996, 2003, 2004, 2012, and 2020, when the Greek side carried out construction, and military fortification and built a university in violation of the buffer zone. "So the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs basically states that some of these go through Turkish Cypriot property. And, also, what I have observed from my digging into the past is that the UN and the UN Peaceke...

By Richard Beale…. These League 1 rivals fought out a relatively tame draw, though the visitors will probably be the happier of the two teams. Result: ESENTEPE KKSK 1 OZANKÖY SK 1  Saturday, August 26: Friendly Match: Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium. Esentepe was missing 4 key players Deniz (injured), Emek (rested), Emre, and Nersin (work commitments) which probably resulted in them being not at their best. Esentepe shaded the first half and Ozanköy who had two great chances in the last 5 minutes were the better team in the second half. I am led to believe that this was Ozanköy's first friendly match (Esentepe now 5 friendlies) and they looked sharp with Esentepe being a little sluggish. With both teams making numerous changes during the match and a few injuries the game didn’t flow. There were some positives from this match the return from injury for striker MELİH NİŞANCI , he was Esentepe's best players, worked hard, showed some clever touches, and scored a crackin...

By Chris Elliott…. It’s been a hard week with lots of news and reviews arriving for publication and a number of personal issues to deal with and it's only now that I can sit and reflect on last week's Lefke Archery Competition which I attended. Firstly Osman and Aysen Tez of the Girne A.A. Archery Team (GATE) club said as you have had problems with your car come with us which was nice of them and we were able to learn more about each other whilst traveling and as they were the main organisers of the competition, they became very busy supervising the setup of the competition when we arrived at the Lefke 16 August Victory Stadium where the competition was being held. Now in the past few weeks, I had been practicing and shooting on an increased 30m range and wanted to test myself but when we were all ready to start the competition Osman Tez said to me you are going to shoot 20m which is not a problem apart from my bow sight needing to be reset to suit and I was helped by one...

“I condemn this heinous attack which is a manifestation of hostility and animosity” President Ersin Tatar has issued a written statement condemning the arson attack this morning on the Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Ağa Mosque in Limassol, South Cyprus, and has called upon the perpetrators to be caught and prosecuted. The message of President Tatar reads as follows: “I condemn in the strongest possible way the heinous attack this morning on a mosque located in the Greek Cypriot Administration. The arson attack against the Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Ağa Mosque in Limassol is a manifestation of hostility and animosity against us, our religion of Islam and the sacred values ​​of more than 2 billion people around the world, which cannot be justified by democracy and freedom of thought. It should not be forgotten that tolerance of different cultures and religions is the cornerstone of world peace and co-existence of different nations and is essential for mutual respect and understanding of people...

Here is the latest "Talking Round North Cyprus" podcast from Sara Palmer and Roger Bara. Sara grabs a quick week at her apartment in North Cyprus and catches up with some previous podcast guests - “The Artist One” and “The Eagle’s Nest One”. Plus of course her co-host Roger Bara - in his pool! https://open.spotify.com/episode/7JhoVLjJIt91UloQxuNuB0?si=e4f6abe59e5744c5 Click the right-hand arrow above to hear the "The Quick Visit One" Podcast Each fortnight, you can hear the latest news and views about North Cyprus, together with an exclusive interview with someone who has an affiliation with the place. Included in the 64 episodes already published have been restaurateurs, estate agents, reporters, doctors, and even a pig farmer from Nicosia! It's easy to subscribe – just click wherever you get your podcasts from - so you never miss an episode.  And if you’ve got a story to tell, then you can find us on Facebook, Twitter or drop us an email on  trnc.podca...

By Richard Beale….. Goalkeeper Osman Erdoğan was Esentepe hero saving two Lapta penalties and then picking himself to take the final penalty himself to enable Esentepe to retain the Erdal Barut Memorial Trophy. Result: ESENTEPE KKSK 1 LAPTA TBSK 1 (Esentepe win 4-2 on penalties).  Saturday, August 19: Erdal Barut Memorial Cup: Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium.  An impeccable minute's silence was observed before the kick-off marking the 10th Anniversary of the death of the late Esentepe President Erdal Barut. The first half between these two League 1 rivals was pretty even and to be honest uneventful. Two-goal attempts, one taken, the goal was scored in the 28th minute and it went to Esentepe. The move started on the right with Salih making progress down the wing passing to his younger brother Dinçer who squared the ball across goal for DENİZ KIBAR to control the ball turn and fire past Okyanus. 1-0. The only other chance came in the 33rd minute following a Lapta corner on the...

By Heidi Trautmann…. For many years now I have been following the events in Vounous - and before in Akdeniz where it all started. They have received worldwide attention and respect and international ceramic artists, historians and archaeologists come to witness and learn for 14 days about the past and the techniques being used for incredible and beautiful artworks. For this year’s symposium Rauf Ersenal, the Head of the project is expecting about 70 participants from countries such as Ireland, Italy, Latvia, USA, France, Germany, Iran, Turkey, and North Cyprus, and more applicants are still coming in. I attach here my text from last year with some detailed information. https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=alastvisittovounous2022 I share with you here the programme set up for the participants but it shows best what is being done during the days of the Symposium. Working hours will start in the afternoon. Visitors are welcome. During the Symposium I shall visit Vounous several tim...

Girne Municipality has begun to identify and enforce penalties for illegal developments within its borders. In Girne, a business on Karaoğlanoğlu Street built an unauthorized extension. The matter was taken to court by the municipality, and after the court ruling, the demolition of the extension was carried out in accordance with the law. Representatives of the Land Department noted that citizens also have a great responsibility in preventing illegal construction. They stated that illegal construction should not be allowed in the name of the future of the city and that necessary complaints should be made in such cases. Source (Turkish): Girne Municipality   https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/26/girne-blitz-on-illegal-construction/

By Richard Beale…. Though this was only a friendly match never the less it was disappointing for Esentepe to lose to a 85th goal to deny them a draw they deserved. Result : YENİBOĞAZİÇİ DSK 2 ESENTEPE KKSK 1 (friendly match).  Wednesday August 16 ; Yeniboğaziçi Osman Ergün Mehmet Stadium. It's always nice to visit Yeniboğaziçi firstly having a splendid pre-match meal and a cold beer at one of our favourite Restaurants AYTOTORO MEZE. Secondly, meet up again with an old friend ex Esentepe Coach KILIÇ ALİ KAHRAMAN who is now in charge of Yeniboğaziçi and won promotion for them last season into the Super League. We wish him and his team good luck as he is and always will be a favourite with Esentepe supporters. Esentepe was handicapped for this match having a lack of striking power with Melih and Semih both injured and Deniz Kibar and new signing Ali Avcısoyu not available so forward options were limited. Esentepe team lineup included a possible new signing defender YUNUS E...

Introduction by Chris Elliott… The UN came to the island of Cyprus in 1964 to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing attempts by Greeks and Greek Cypriot communities on the Turkish Cypriots and create security for the Cyprus Issue to help both communities but nothing ever changed. The UN led the way in doing very little to be impartial and treat both sides as equal and their latest attempts to stop the TRNC road-building project by using UN vehicles to invade TRNC territory and then bully boy tactics into stopping the project means they have failed in the peacekeeping mandate and should now withdraw from Cyprus and do their best in another country that needs their help and is confident of the UN’s impartial intentions and activities. So for those who are not fully aware of the current meltdown in operation confidence being displayed by the UN in Cyprus, we are sharing the following statement by TRNC President Ersin Tatar which spells out the total failure of the UN mission in Cypru...

“The press statement issued by the United Nations Security Council on August 21, 2023 on the construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is completely divorced from the realities on the ground. Rather than making any positive contribution to the issue, the statement makes the process more difficult. The wording used regarding the events of 18 August distorts the facts and misleadingly reflects what happened. We fully support the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the TRNC on this issue. The construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road is a humanitarian project aiming to facilitate the direct access of TRNC citizens in the village of Pile to their own homeland. The notification regarding the road work was made well in advance. This being the case, the physical intervention by soldiers of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the road construction work was the cause of the tension. It will be recalled ...

‘The World is my Home – An entertaining and nostalgic World Travel Cook Book – with Sailing and Travel Stories’ By Heidi Trautman.... - During the Işık Bookstore Book Fair (28 Aug -08 Sep 2023) for one week 28 Aug – 03 Sep from 17.30 – 19.30 hrs. - On 07 Sep 2023 at the Girne Public Library at 15.00 hrs. The human beings are born with senses which according to their development will determine their course of life. Vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste…. are these senses well developed by constant concentrated use, other senses will come to life and these are creativity and curiosity; without them, there is no development of our hidden abilities. With creativity I am not referring to the arts alone, creativity is to create something from little, to do something with passion, especially in questions of survival. Creativity and Curiosity is Life itself and to follow the demands of your body and soul for good food is a basic element of all living beings. Don’t accept borders, or...

35th Samsung Boğaziçi Intercontinental Swimming Race was won by Doğukan Ulaç from TRNC The 35th Samsung Boğaziçi Intercontinental Swimming Race organised by the Turkish National Olympic Committee was held in İstanbul. Turkish Cypriot swimmer Doğukan Ulaç came first in the men's general category of the race with a timing of 41 minutes and 22 seconds. Source: TRNC Public Information Office https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/22/dogukan-ulac-from-trnc-won-the-35th-samsung-bogazici-intercontinental-swimming-race/

Press Statement by the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the extension of the decision to lift the arms embargo imposed by the United States of America on the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus “The arms sales restrictions imposed by the United States of America (US) on the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA) since 1987 were partially lifted in 2020 and completely lifted in 2022. Recently, with the statement of the US Department of State dated 18 August 2023, it was announced that the decision to lift the defense trade restrictions was extended by one year, for the fiscal year 2024, effective 1 October 2023. It is not possible to accept the stance of the US Administration to support the armament of the Greek Cypriot side which, despite all our efforts, continues to gain momentum at the expense of tipping the delicate balances on the island. At a time when the Greek Cypriot side has increased its military cooperation with many countries, this move has once aga...

Begüm Tekakpınar, who represented the TRNC at the 3rd Meykin International Music Competition in Kyrgyzstan, came in first. Begüm Tekakpınar from the TRNC and Ruslan Asankan Ulu from Kyrgyzstan won the first prize as a result of the scoring made by the international jury. Secretary General of TURKSOY Sultan Raev said: "I congratulate all the artists who won prizes at the Meykin Asia International Music Competition. I am honoured to award the first prize to Begüm Tekakpınar from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." Talented young singers aged 18-35 from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia participated in the festival. Source: TRNC Public Information Office  https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/22/begum-tekakpinar-from-trnc-came-first-in-kyrgyzstan-music-competition/

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye condemned the intervention of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in the construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and issued a written statement. The written statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry is as follows: “We find unacceptable and strongly condemn the physical intervention yesterday (18 August by soldiers of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the sovereign territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with the aim of preventing the construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road. We fully support the relevant statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the TRNC and the justified reaction of the TRNC authorities. The UN's stance on the Pile-Yiğitler road, which is a humanitarian project aiming to facilitate the direct access of TRNC citizens in the village of Pile to their own homeland, ...

The finest education you can have is how to care for and perhaps save the lives of others and we were pleased to receive to following news from Ümit Karanar of CESV /112 Civil Emergency Service Volunteers and I understand they will be running another first aid training course for the English School of Kyrenia soon and no doubt they will be sharing their skills with other people and organisations in the future in the TRNC. "Our association, CESV/112, has been continuing to offer free first aid and safety courses and provide the needed pieces of equipment for emergency services since 2015. On the 16th August 2023 we donated 2 EKG machines to Cengiz Topel Hospital to be used in their ambulances. We dedicated this donation in honour of our association president Steven Collard's late father Bill Collard." https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/21/cesv-112-civil-emergency-service-volunteers-donated-2-ekg-machines/

Statement of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding UNFICYP’s intervention in the construction of the Pile -Yiğitler Road “Construction works on the Pile – Yiğitler road, aimed at providing ease of access to TRNC territory for our citizens living in the village of Pile, have commenced on 17 August 2023. It is amply clear that this road project has a purely humanitarian objective. Despite this, today, with a view to blocking the road works, UNFICYP military personnel have physically assaulted within the TRNC territory, our road construction teams as well as our police, who are present in the area only to provide safety. This stance displayed by UNFICYP is unacceptable. In the statements made by UNFICYP and other parties, the events which took place are distorted and it is claimed that UN peacekeepers and vehicles were “assaulted”. These claims are baseless. Aside from the construction team, the only personnel on the ground are the Turkish Cypriot police, who are tasked with ...

A malfunction occurred in the motors at the Karakız Sewage Pumping Station. It is thought that the malfunction occurred due to the irregular power outages experienced in the region. Girne Municipality teams have been working for more than 24 hours to resolve the malfunction. It was stated that a pump from a different station will be taken to the Karakız Sewage Pump Station and installed there in order to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Girne Mayor Murat Şenkul made a statement about the malfunction at the Karakız Sewage Pump Station on his social media account. “WE ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS” Girne Mayor Murat Şenkul, stating that one of the backup motors also malfunctioned due to the malfunction that is thought to have occurred at the Karakız Sewage Pump Station due to power outages, announced that the Girne Municipality teams have been working to resolve the problem for more than 24 hours. Şenkul, who stated...

By Chris Elliott.... UNIFCYP came to Cyprus in 1964 to keep the peace between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot people and have consistently shown they want the 2 communities to reunite despite the fact that successive Greek Cypriots governments (so called RoC) have rejected all UN peace plans and added to this the Recognition of the so-called RoC and rejection of the TRNC by the new kid on the block, the EU, and you have a recipe for an ongoing failure of reunification plans. Now in the past few days, we have seen the UNIFCYP forces trying to stop the TRNC from building a short road to the mixed community village of Pile and using medieval hand-to-hand fighting methods to maintain their control which is a total failure of their peace mandate and they should now leave the island in total disgrace.    The reaction of Turkish Cypriots people has been one of horror at the unjust and systematic bias of the UN forces towards the Turkish Cypriots and they have shared the following message ...

Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus regarding Pile – Yiğitler Road The Pile – Yiğitler road project has been prepared with the entirely humanitarian objective of providing ease of access of our citizens living in the village of Pile to the TRNC. The said project, which envisages expanding and enhancing the existing Pile – Yiğitler road, has been prepared with the aim of enabling the people of Pile to easily reach their lands; to improve the economic circumstances of its residents; and to enable access to Pile without dependency on the Sovereign British Bases (SBA). As is known, the Greek Cypriots living in Pile are able to freely travel to and from the Greek Cypriot administration without being subject to any customs control or any restrictive measures by the SBA authorities. Despite the constructive attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the Pile – Yiğitler road project, which has a history exceeding 25 years, and all t...

Hello, my friends, well the weather has been so hot that people have been slowing down and contributions for publishing have also slowed down, however, we have now compiled the latest e-newspaper with lots of interesting news and reviews which we hope you will enjoy. We thank our contributors for their continued support in helping make CyprusScene an interesting and entertaining publication and we look forward to receiving more news and reviews as early as possible so we can share them with our readers and followers worldwide. Issue 268 is now complete with working video links you can watch and you can download your free PDF file of this week’s e-newspaper by clicking here: For those readers who wish to read past news and reviews from our wide selection of e-newspapers, please click below in the listing to make your selection. Chris Elliott brings CyprusScene videos - YouTube 2023 Enewspapers: Issue 253 Issue 254 Issue 255 Issue 256 Issue 257 Issue 258 Issue 259 Issue 260 Iss...

TRNC President Ersin Tatar commemorated the Taşkent martyrs, stating that it is the greatest responsibility towards the martyrs, the children, and future generations to build the future by taking lessons from the past.  In his message, Tatar expressed his great sorrow for the innocent Turkish Cypriot civilians who were brutally murdered by the fascist EOKA terrorist organization and Greek Cypriot armed elements during the events that followed the Greek coup d'etat of 15 July 1974. Source: TRNC Public Information Office https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/15/president-tatar-issues-message-in-remembrance-of-taskent-martyrs/

President Ersin Tatar issued a message on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the second phase of the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation and the anniversary of the Muratağa, Sandallar, and Atlılar Massacres. In his message, Tatar expressed his great sorrow for the innocent civilians, including women and children who were brutally murdered by the fascist EOKA terrorist organization on the anniversary of the Muratağa, Sandallar, and Atlılar Massacres, which, he said, were one of the greatest war crimes of the 20th century. Tatar pointed out that these massacres unequivocally demonstrated to the world the non-negotiable presence of Türkiye, guaranteeing the security and safety of the Turkish Cypriot people. Source: TRNC Public Information Office https://cyprusscene.com/2023/08/14/tatar-murataga-sandallar-and-atlilar-massacres-are-war-crimes-of-the-20th-century/

By Chris Elliott…. It's one year since the passing of my soul mate and lovely partner Margaret Sheard who is now with the angels and it’s been the most difficult time in my life. Firstly she wanted me to be the executor of her will and this has resulted in me having to run here there and everywhere trying to cope with all the legal issues which was so difficult and protracted due to the language issues and there is still much more to do and without the help and support of my Advocate I would have lost the plot long ago. Margaret passed away just a few months before my new residency application was due and as she was my residency sponsor my world was collapsing with uncertainty and my Avocat was giving advice as best they could but the TRNC government it seems was changing directions with talks of amnesties and then changed course by firming up the procedures with heavy penalties for late applications and preventing an individual from traveling from the TRNC.  My Avocat tried ...

By Richard Beale…. Super League team Cihangir showed their class and superiority for the majority of this match though Esentepe had their moments in this entertaining friendly. Results: ESENTEPE KKSK 2 CIHANGIR GSK 4 Saturday August 12: Friendly Match: Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium. Cihangir rocked Esentepe going a goal up after 1 minute and two goals up after only 3 minutes. Esentepe was caught stone cold both goals scored by BABACAR MBAYE DIOP and YANKI AKTUL caused by individual defensive errors. In the opening 15 minutes, there was only one team in it, Cihangir passing and pressing and playing some delightful football, Esentepe were left chasing shadows at times Cihangir appeared to have 20 players on the pitch such were their movements. Esentepe were playing far too deep allowing the visitors too much time and space, however, after a few tactical changes the home side settled down and started pressing forward and closing down on their opponents. They were rewarded wit...

By Oz Orman.... The following story and video project may be of interest to some of the TRNC ex-pat community from the East End or sports aficionados in general. Back in the day, before Girne (Kyrenia) succumbed to visual pollution and North Cyprus retained its quirkiness and laid-back appeal, there was a recognisable home-from-home presence in this part of the Mediterranean. I remember the days of communicating and mixing with my parent’s British neighbours. They were quick to recall stories from Blighty and wanting to know how things were getting on in the rat race that was the U.K. Life was very different and power cuts were met with a shrug of the shoulders. It was all very idyllic for some and an ideal retirement retreat from the hubbub of good ole England. The internet was in its infancy and if you wanted news from back home, you bought the weekly English newspaper to see what was going on or tuned in to BRT English news. During one summer, I was on the island and determined ...