Turkish Cypriots working in south Cyprus protest to be allowed to cross for work

Turkish Cypriots who work in southern Cyprus held a protest in Lefkosa on Tuesday demanding to be allowed to return to their jobs.

Photo Source: Yeniduzen

According to report, dozens of Turkish Cypriots assembled outside the ‘prime minister’s office’ and marched to ‘parliament’ where they held their protest for about two hours until 1:00pm.

A number of Turkish Cypriots working in the south of Cyprus cannot cross over after the closure of crossing points to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

We don’t want to lose our jobs, the protesters shouted.

A statement read at the protest said the workers wanted terms and conditions to be set for their return to work and also wanted to know if the Turkish Cypriot government had any plans to deal with their problem. 

The government of Cyprus said they can return to their jobs on June 8.

Closure of the crossings by the two sides affected around 2,000 Turkish Cypriots working in the south who no longer could make ends meet.

Meanwhile, the TRNC authorities said there must zero Covid-19 cases in the south for 14 days before they agree to reopen the crossings.

The workers accused the TRNC authorities of using the pandemic as an excuse to prevent them from crossing over but at the same time it was considering allowing through planes and ships carrying tourists.

Sourced from Cyprus Mail