Salman Siddiqui's writing archive

By Salman Siddiqui Consumers in the TRNC might see oil and gas prices eventually go down this year as the global oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia intensified over the week. Oil and gas prices in the country have remained quite stable over the year. On Wednesday, the websites of the oil and gas companies – Kıbrıs Türk Petrolleri Limited and Alpet Kıbrıs – maintained the prices of gas at 4.9TL/litre, diesel 4.96TL/litre and high-octane oil 5.36TL/litre. In 2019, the gas price was 4.9TL per litre while diesel was 4.96TL per litre, according to ALPET. A leading global energy expert told the Cyprus Today that the impact of the global oil price war will be felt on small island nations like the TRNC gradually, not immediately.  Last Monday, international crude oil prices had made a steep fall, dropping over 30 percent, when Saudi Arabia decided to slash its oil prices in response to what analysts believe was Russia’s fall out with members of the Organiza...

By Salman Siddiqui A 65-year-old female tourist, who had arrived in the TRNC from Germany on Sunday evening, tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday, the health minister revealed this week as the government announced a series of precautionary steps to deal with the ongoing threat in the island. This is the first reported case of the virus in North Cyprus. Health Minister Ali Pilli told the official TAK news agency the coronavirus victim had arrived via the Ercan Airport as part of a tour group of 30 people from Germany's Balingen town. They were staying at a hotel in Mağusa that was immediately placed under quarantine once the test result came out positive. The victim was taken to the Dr. Bruhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital in Lefkosa on Monday after she complained of high fever, Pilli said; her test result later came out positive. The minister said the overall health of the tourist remains stable as her treatment at the hospital continues.   ...

Expats in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus demand ‘no quick fix’ to property disputes  By Salman Siddiqui Expat buyers of the Greatstone property dispute saga are on tenterhooks as they await the outcome of a government-appointed committee that is expected to meet next week to find an amicable solution, the Cyprus Today has learnt. The Greatstone saga refers to a legal dispute involving the landowners, building contractors and expat residents over a set of properties in Lapta. There are 13 homes of expats at stake which were auctioned off last month for 3,445,000TL following a legal dispute between the landowner and the building contractor. The landowner, who bought the properties in the auction, previously said he would give the buyers up to three months to reach a deal with him before taking legal action to evict them. Prime Minister Ersin Tatar had earlier announced the establishment of an ad hoc committee to examine the Greatstone-2 issue, which has been tasked ...