South Cyprus government trying to block cooperation between EMU and Oxford University - TRNC PMis suffocating TC economy, says ‘foreign minister’
In a written statement on Monday, Ozersay said that that south Cyprus’s foreign ministry is trying to suffocate the TRNC economy by targeting its main pillars: higher education and tourism and accused the country of trying to block cooperation between the Eastern Mediterranean University in the north and Oxford University.
While the degrees of graduates of the Eastern Mediterranean University are being accepted throughout the world, Ozersay said, south Cyprus officials are trying create problems over its cooperation with Oxford University without any legal backing.
In terms of tourism, Ozersay said that in the past, south Cyprus authorities had arrested ship captains who had anchored in ports in the north when they crossed to the southern part of the island.
He said that now the south Cyprus government is also taking action against countries whose flags are flown by vessels arriving in the north.
The Greek Cypriot side base these actions on meaningless claims, he said.
It is clear that they do so because the two main pillars of the Turkish Cypriot economy are higher education and tourism.
Ozersay said that when the Turkish Cypriot side maintains that a change of mindset is necessary, this is what it means.
This behaviour, he said, will worsen relations between the two communities.
It is understood that, unfortunately, the Greek Cypriot leadership cannot stand letting the Turkish Cypriots catch a breath not only over politics, culture and sports, but also in the economic sector, he said.
We are faced with a mentality that tries to cut our every contact with the economic world.
He said that these actions contradict calls by the Greek Cypriot side to improve relations between the two communities.
Sorry, but that’s just hypocrisy, Ozersay said.
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