Lefkosa road by Terminal blocked by protesting farmers (photos)

The usually busy Lefkosa main road by Terminal was on Wednesday afternoon blocked by Livestock breeders and farmers staging a protest against the rising prices as a result in the fall of the value of the Turkish Lira against foreign currency.

The road block was a protest by farmers. The protest was taken to the Ministry of Agriculture but were denied entry by the police. 

The protesters reportedly broke the doors of the ministry building before police intervened. 

A convoy of tractors gathered in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The President of the Cyprus Turkish Livestock Producers and Breeders Association Mustafa Naimoğulları in a statement said that producers had reached the brink of bankruptcy.

Criticizing the latest price hikes, Naimoğulları said “On the one hand the government has been raising prices, on the other end shopkeepers and businesses have been raising prices. For months, farmers have been showing an incredible effort to keep going.

Despite this the price of animal feed has gone up by 140%.”

Meanwhile, tensions flared up at the protest in front of the Ministry.

A protestor who threw a stone at the building broke down several of the windows, injuring several people.

The protestors then stormed the building.

Riot police were called in to intervene.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Frank Okwose