Turkish Cypriot butchers' and traders' associations staged a protest outside the occupied north's 'ministry of agriculture and natural resources' on Thursday, voicing frustration over the sharp rise in meat prices and what they describe as a growing shift by Turkish Cypriots towards purchasing meat in the free areas of Cyprus.
The general coordinator of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Shopkeepers and Artisans (KTEZO), Hürem Tulga, said the issue extends well beyond meat and amounts to a broader social problem. He spoke of the "smuggling of meat" from the south as an "open secret," questioning how the administration continues to overlook it, and noted that prices in the free areas are almost half those in the occupied north.
The president of the Turkish Cypriot butchers' association, Raşit Şenkaya, said the mass turn by consumers towards the south had dealt a serious blow to the sector. He accused the administration of inaction and tolerance towards meat imports, adding that simple measures could bring prices down and support the local economy.
The occupied north's minister of agriculture,' Hüseyin Çavuş, attended the protest and rejected claims of an animal shortage. Focusing on the need to stabilise prices, he described the wide variation in costs as unjustified, citing the example of minced meat being sold at 900 Turkish lira in one area and 600 in another, and said he was ready for dialogue aimed at establishing cooperatives. His remarks were met with a brief flare-up of tension and a verbal confrontation with those gathered at the protest.
Source: CNA
