Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

The BRS has advised its members of protest meetings against high rise developments - details below for those who might wish to voice their concern:

For those of you that don't know, this lovely TRNC government, who are in league with big business and builders want to increase the number of high rise developments that are becoming a blight on the landscape of this once beautiful island.
The protest group fear that a decision will be "railroaded" without concerted action.

Meetings are to be held at the local coffee bars at Alsancak tomorrow and Catalkoy on Wednesday at 6pm.

Which local coffee bars?

I enquired of the BRS where the meetings will be held and received this response:-

" go to the coffee shops where the locals pass their time. Hopefully people will know roughly where they are".

I think BRS might be at Fast Food in Alsancak about 6pm this evening. Don't shoot the messenger if I've been misinformed though!

Sorry but this sounds like an artificial joke! Is the BRS that inefficient that it merely talks of local coffee bars where the locals go?

Although I know nothing (protective!), I do not for one moment believe that any protest will be of any value against the plans of the government. So much has already been done and no doubt much more in the pipe line which will not and cannot be stopped. Many people are concerned, but the Government here makes its decisions based on what they know and feel and consider 'right' for their country.

Protest should come from the locals/citizens, and methinks it has been left rather late for that.

However, if people feel making their feelings known via the BRS, then so be it, but it would seem that it is far too late, and even impossible if no notice of meetings, times and places is given.

Probably better to go high rise,as long as they are in residential areas,than to spread over unspoiled ground.

According to the Mayor of Catalkoy, Catalkoy supports keeping the four storey building height restrictions but have been overuled by the government.
Looks like that monstrosity on the main road in Catalkoy, rumoured to be a Cangar garage and gym, has added another storey. Feel so sorry for the houses beside it that have been dwarfed.
Ok for progress but soon North Cyprus will look like every other concrete jungle in the Med, only the Greek islands it would seem, protect their environments with no high rise developments in the main.

Becker wrote:Probably better to go high rise,as long as they are in residential areas,than to spread over unspoiled ground.

That all depends on if the high rise is built right next door to your home, taking away light, privacy and views. These huge blocks are then usually left unsold for years on end.

The Cangar folly will only be four storey's from ground level - that fifth storey you can see is actually underground at the front and therefore is not counted!

Cangar building - apparantly it was to be a car showrom which means 2 floors plus basement so they have put in new planning applications for a hotel, which can be upto 6 storeys.
You could not believe it or this monstrosity but unfortunately we are guests and the locals do what they want especially if they have money to greasethe wheels of bureaucracy.

What will a local protest meeting achieve? (Be honest now!) ...........

The local protest meeting will achieve 50% of the square root of s-d all. However, it gives a chance for people to vent their spleens. If TRNC citizens and their Government they elected want to do it, who are expat visitors to deny them? Sadly, there is no infrastructure planning regarding water provision, roads/traffic, waste/sewage etc. But hey ho, "this is Cyprus, my friend," with the typical shoulder shrug!

Agree it is not our country and it is up to the local population to try and influence decisions. However; I think it is worth showing an interest in what is happening in your local area/village etc and whilst not a BRS member we will go along to observe. It all adds to the understanding of the culture and people.

Appreciate its not well advertised, thats the way here, but there are local people who are not happy and want to protest or make their point. Our attendance will not influence anything but it shows to those local people we live next door to or in the village that we do care and have an interest in the happenings in the TRNC as much as they do.

As for venue....coffee shop sounds about right. I am sure in the metropolis of Catalkoy we can select the right one.....there are only 3 in the village centre.

Tomsteel, If everything is so bad judging by the fact all you do is winge on here and lgc why dont you go home?

silverfox1, I am home - thank you for your concern though!! Incidentally, where was the 'whinge' in my post above? I merely stated facts. You obviously take exception to what I write, so there is a simple solution - do not read my posts and you will then have nothing to complain about.

Today the protest meeting in Catalköy: 7pm Cadar building in the village (the old school).
Many people will be there, locals and foreigners as well!
COME
rabbit

The BRS are to be applauded for trying to do something and they should disregard the negativity from those that critise and who do absolutely nothing.

Well done BRS.

Attended meeting in Catalkoy. Good number of people turned up and we were fortunate that the information, comments etc was translated from
Turkish to English.

The meeting was informative and interesting.

Comments and contributions were made not only by the protest group but also the mayor and local people. People were passionate about preventing the what one local described as the Great Wall of China going up all along the coast from Lapta to Esentepe... Hotels and casinos offering little benefit to local people, taking over the beaches and placing an even greater burden on infrastructure and services.

It was pointed out from comments from the floor that the protest group do need to raise there profile and better advertise and communicate what they are about. Petition was signed, there is a Facebook page... In Turkish but they hope to get it put up in English as well. More meetings planned for other areas as villages.

Everyone was thanked for attending and offering support and as was said, if no one does anything then there definately will be no changes and the huge hotels will continue to be built. So doing nothing is not an option. As well as protest meetings, petitions they are also investigating legal challenges as well. A couple of MPs also attended and showed support .

Glad we went and heartening to see a community coming together.

As we were unable to attend, we appreciate your report and thanks for posting it. The more people, both locals and expats, that protest against these proposed high rise developments, which are a blight on the landscape, the better.

Doing nothing is not an option!

Very well said and hopefully the arm chair critics will take note.

What is the Facebook page called please?

Why should they bother to translate to English. This is not their language, why not Russian etc.? If you want to be part of the country. learn the language and fully immerse yourself in the culture. What other country translate for a minority?

English is the lingua franca for business & the internet so if you want to reach the widest possible audience it's probably a good thing to have an English version.

As an aside, the high rise building was blamed by the property developers on British ex-pats (apparently they have bought up all the low density land for their holiday villas leaving the property developers only having the option to go higher rather than wider)

laptatony wrote:Why should they bother to translate to English. This is not their language, why not Russian etc.? If you want to be part of the country. learn the language and fully immerse yourself in the culture. What other country translate for a minority?

Were you at the meeting?

All those not fluent in turkish/non turkish speaking people of different nationalities were not expecting and did not ask for any translation of the proceedings. We attended knowing the proceedings would likely be in turkish but the important thing for us was to attend and show our support along with the local community, rather than just do nothing and moan. We were in actual fact getting involved, trying to understand how politics at a local level worked and immersing ourselves in the culture.

However; the main speakers from the organising protest group, having noticed a fair number of other nationalities there wanted to translate the proceedings for us. They wanted everyone to feel involved and included in the discussion and
debate. Indeed when an english speaking person stood up to make a suggestion they then translated into turkish for those local people who could not understand.

We were not expecting this at all, indeed a couple of foreigners who could speak a little turkish were making notes for the benefit of others.

Of course learning the language should be considered, but not everyone can easily do this. We were grateful for the translation into english, which is a universal language and they were very keen to also ensure there facebook page and any other information was sent out in both turkish and english. The organisers were grateful for the support of
other nationalities within their community.

laptatony wrote:Why should they bother to translate to English. This is not their language, why not Russian etc.? If you want to be part of the country. learn the language and fully immerse yourself in the culture. What other country translate for a minority?

The UK for one!

laptatony wrote,

What other country translate for a minority?

I think you will find that the majority of institutions in the UK have a translation service for most of the ethnic communities.

PapaBravo wrote:laptatony wrote,

What other country translate for a minority?

I think you will find that the majority of institutions in the UK have a translation service for most of the ethnic communities.

My GP clinic in the UK provided info leaflets in many languages.

And the courts and Police have access to translators.