The effect of the military coup attempt in Turkey has started to become evident in the TRNC.
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika, the wide-ranging purge operations launched in Turkey, which the paper describes as a “witch hunt”, to be rid of all the members of the military and all state organisations who are suspected of having links with the Gulenist organisation FETO, has been extended to include North Cyprus.
The paper writes that Turkey has pushed the button for clean out operations to take place inside the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Command (KTBK) and Turkey’s Security Forces Command.
In addition Afrika writes that army commander Galip Mendi who, in the past, had served as chairman of the TRNC’s civil defence organisation has been removed from duty as general commander of the Gendarmerie in Turkey. According to information acquired, Mendi is involved with the assassination of Turkish Cypriot journalist Kultu Adali which took place on July 6, 1996.
Meanwhile, referring to the expanded purge operations in Turkey, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis reports that the detentions of two commanders who served in North Cyprus in the past, has triggered the launching of similar operations in the TRNC.
According to the paper, Firat Alakus who served in the TRNC’s civil defence organisation in during the period 2014-2016, and Fatih Yarimbas who served in the same post (2012-2014) were arrested in Ankara on Tuesday.
It was reported that the Turkish General Staff will send a delegation to North Cyprus in order to launch investigations.
On the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen reports that the TRNC authorities, commenting yesterday on the allegations published by the Cihan news agency that Turkey will launch similar purge operations in the TRNC, have stated that they have not been informed about this move.
President Akinci’s office has said that he is closely following developments in Turkey, while police denied the allegations that they had held a high level meeting regarding this matter.
Afrika, Havadis, Yeni Duzen