Turkish Cypriot politician Tufan Erhürman has called for the creation of a bicommunal technical committee on halloumi, saying the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to cooperate in agriculture and livestock farming.
Referring to the difficulties in tackling foot-and-mouth disease, Erhürman also called for the immediate signing of the documents needed to begin checks in the north as part of the certification process for the Cypriot cheese.
In a written post on social media, Erhürman said he was closely monitoring the foot-and-mouth issue. He added that statements by the government of the Republic of Cyprus were making repeated reference to the north.
He said timely and rapid vaccinations had been carried out in the Turkish Cypriot community and added that vaccines had also been provided to the government-controlled areas when needed.
On halloumi, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side was waiting for procedures to be completed so checks could begin. He said there had been a commitment to settle the issue by January 31, but that this had not happened. “We want to be inspected,” he said, calling on the government to put the necessary signatures in place.
He also said the proposal for a bicommunal technical committee on halloumi had come from the Turkish Cypriot side. He added that similar risks in the agricultural sector needed to be tackled jointly and said he was open to all forms of cooperation.
In his closing remarks, Erhürman said the Greek Cypriot side should “stop using the Turkish Cypriot side as an excuse” to deal with domestic criticism and instead focus on its own responsibilities based on the proposals that have been put forward, so that what is best for the whole island can be done.