Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Hi there,

Does anyone know what's going on with water supplies in Esentepe? We are outside the village and have been told that water tankers are being stopped, and we have to go to the Belediye and pay them 4,000 tl.
We don't have any pipework done, nothing in place, so rely completely on the tankers.
It would appear that we are being blackmailed to pay this sum of money to the Belediye in advance of any water pipes being laid, or water 'on tap' so to speak. We don't even know when they are laying pipes or supplying water - could it be in a week's time or 6 months time.
If anyone knows the current situation, especially with regards to outlying areas I would appreciate hearing from you.
Many thanks

We also live outside of the village. The Mayor has changed pricing for meters, infrastructure and actual usage costs 4 times in as many months. I now here he has told Turtle Bay owners the smart meter cost is 2000 YTL and this price has been set by the Council of Ministers. You would be best going to the Belediye and enquiring there what the latest news is. The piping deadline was, at the last, news release due to be 15th Dec. It would appear there is a sliding scale of cost per ton on water used. The more you use, the higher the cost. My feel on cost is:
Meter - 2000 YTL
Pipes - 1200 YTL (sorry)
KDA - 16%
Deposit -£ 100 (approx 370 YTL).

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much for your information Tom - much appreciated!

Don't think they have stopped tankers as I have seen them delivering water in that area ( physically)

Bert, the Mayor has stated he will stop tanker deliveries after 15th Dec and use the Police to enforce the ban.

Correct- but somehow I don't think for a moment he will complete the necessary work to connect all of the sites not receiving Turkish water by the 15th December.If I'm right he will have to continue to allow tanker water to be delivered after the 15th.

I see loads of issues pending.

Art, I think you've got it spot on here with timing and subsequent issues. The cost now, if the Mayor's latest statement on meter costs is correct, amounts to 5440 YTL, plus £100 deposit (approx 370 YTL), before water enters the smart meter. Usage costs appear to change at his whim and, again, change according to who he is talking to. I know BRS is aware of the situation, but what influence it might have with the Council of Ministers or the Mayor, little I guess? Of particular relevance is the fact a Cypriot owner of a house on our estate is being charged only 350 YTL for the new smart meter, whereas we will have to pay 2000 YTL. Discrimination is unlawful in the TRNC according to its Constitution.

That works out to £1,534.00 for your first glass of water then - now that is a bit expensive in anybody's country!!!

Hi waddo, if I have to go down this route, believe me when I say that 1st glass of water will be framed and hung on the wall.

If the mayor is not careful there will be a mass exedous of Brits leaving Esentepe.

What will the local bars/restaurant / yapi markets and food stores do then.?

Most of the local business are supported by the Brits the same Brits he's trying to overcharge.

Art, the exodus has already started. With the prospect of dwindling ex-pats and a massive increase in the cost of water, That's Amore will be closing soon and moving their business outside Esentepe district.

Trying to communicate with the "water department" at the Belediye is difficult as their English is very limited and my Turkish is almost non-existant - my fault and not theirs. Went there yesterday to report a small leak and was asked to type my problem into Google translate. By the smiles that eminated from the Turkish translation, I think there could be misunderstandings! To the Belediye's credit, having been asked to email a photo of the leak to them, they were literally repairing it 10 minutes later - possibly because the photo proved that the leak was on their side of the meter!

Art wrote:If the mayor is not careful there will be a mass exedous of Brits leaving Esentepe.

What will the local bars/restaurant / yapi markets and food stores do then.?

Most of the local business are supported by the Brits the same Brits he's trying to overcharge.

Art, sadly it is the Cypriot way, isn't it? All that matters is money today. The future is irrelevant!

Art wrote:If the mayor is not careful there will be a mass exedous of Brits leaving Esentepe.

What will the local bars/restaurant / yapi markets and food stores do then.?

Most of the local business are supported by the Brits the same Brits he's trying to overcharge.

If the Brits leave, they'll sell the properties to someone else / other nationalities - and the bars and shops will cater for them!

Maybe Keith, but I and the other expats around me have already started a boycott of Esentepe-based shops and facilities by going to Catalkoy or Kűçűk Erenkőy. If this spreads to other expats, and they are as angry as we are, the business community in Esentepe will have problems.

The Plot deepens, rang our water man this morning (Bilgau) for water and he told me The Mayor have stopped all water deliveries in the region till everybody pays for Meters , and that all tankers have been stopped. As nobody on our site has meters fitted and most of the Villas are for Holidays this seems crazy ( we are on Olive Grove by the way.) The woman next door has been up to see what's happening and the staff were very curt to her and told her to pay 5247 Lira as she has been told about it, which is untrue by the way nobody here has been officially told although we have heard the rumours. I am sure things will be sorted in the short term but surely in a civilised society this sort of thing cannot happen overnight.

tomsteel wrote:Maybe Keith, but I and the other expats around me have already started a boycott of Esentepe-based shops and facilities by going to Catalkoy or Kűçűk Erenkőy. If this spreads to other expats, and they are as angry as we are, the business community in Esentepe will have problems.

Good luck with that!

Briannu - I wonder whether the Mayor has contacted all of the Foreign non-residents owners, and whether he intends to hold everyone to ransom until everyone has paid, resident or not!

Part of the problem seems to be that the Belediyes are set up like little 'Fiefdoms' answerable to nobody...

I am in the area and have not been told anything. No shocks there then.

Briannu, I think you need to seek legal advice and quickly too. If your site doesn't have the infrastructure for the Turkish water supply yet, I do not believe you can be deprived of a basic need, namely water. Please let us know how you get on.

TOM

Yes I am hoping that will happen, some long standing owners one of whom is Turkish are trying to deal with it. Thanks for your advice

Yes I know it's illegal fore foreigners to demonstrate here but if 20 or 30 did who do not have water what will they do? Chuck you in prison, deport you? I don't think so.

Drastic times mean drastic measures. Go to the Town Hall en mass. Demand to speak to the mayor with an interpreter. Do something positive.

johnrebus, several 'foreigners' have spoken to the Mayor, myself included. He is adamant foreigners must pay 5247 YTL before any water arrives at the meter, even though there is no infrastructure in place yet and he stated 15 Dec as the deadline for stopping tanker deliveries. He has also had meetings with estate committees and, again, stated his ruling. A mass demonstration will only strengthen his stance as those attending will be arrested for committing a criminal offence.

Definition of extortion: "Extortion is a crime in which one person forces another person to do something against his will, generally to give up money or other property, by the threat of violence, property damage, damage to the person’s reputation, or extreme financial hardship". Further, the act of discrimination is unlawful under the Constitution of the TRNC (Articles). In my non-legal view, the Mayor is guilty of two crimes regarding this water issue. Any thoughts?

In my opinion you need to be a little bit careful here.

The mayor could well argue that's he's implementing the current law as agreed by the government of the day.He therefore is doing nothing unreasonable or outside of the law as he is impowered to implement the law and in fact it's is duty to do so.

Discrimination would be the route to follow assuming you have the proof to challenge him with.

As I said previously the entire situation is waiting to explode and I think it's reached a stage where legal advice is essential.

Tom, as I understand it the Mayor is placing the blame for all his actions on the Council of Ministers and proving with copy's of their letters that he is only doing what he has been ordered to do? I was talking about this with a BRS member who told me that he/she has copy's of all the letters and a copy of the old law that will prevent the use of wells. Not happy to give out his/her name but I am sure that if you queried the BRS about the matter they would assist you further - perhaps. My thought then is that if the Mayor has indeed been ordered to do these things by the Council of Ministers then it is them who have failed under the Constitution of the TRNC (Articles) unless they have given out the same orders to each of the Mayors in the TRNC???

I am in complete agreement with Art on this and legal advice is essential at this point!

Thanks, Art and waddo. I have queried and raised this matter with the BRS - no response as yet! I totally agree with the legal advice option. However, who to turn to and trust their legal opinion? I did ask the BRS for their legal advisor to air a view - nothing heard. Our difficulty with the discrimination aspect is it is only oral from the Cypriot who has been quoted 350 YTL and she has not yet paid any money. Once she does and has a receipt, we then have a case.

So as I understand it and I have confirmed with my tanker man that there are no more deliveries. If I go and pay my money to the mayor will he then authorise a tanker to deliver to my home as it will be weeks before the infer structure will be in place to get the mains water on site. Or do I just have no water which in this day and age is bloody ridiculous.

I think the answer to your question is YES.

The mayor has the power to reinstate the tanker delivery on receipt of payment.

I'm intrigued about the £100 deposit payment. What exactly is this for, because as I have read it, it's just an extra payment for something and not a deposit.
Can somebody please clarify and am I to assume that all locals will be asked for this payment in Sterling?

Are we now saying that water usage from a WELL is forbidden?

We are outside Esenteppe and a resident was told they could not have water today by their usual tanker driver and had to go to Belideyesi who was then told owners have to pay 5,400Tl for meter and infrastructure then tankers will be sent till all money is collected then patched into mains .

This happened today.

Gone up from 3720Tl to 5,400 tl !!!

An interesting development. The Mayor of Esentepe has stated the Council of Ministers has laid down the price of the new smart meter as 2000 YTL, plus 16% KDA and 1200 YTL plus 16% KDA infrastructure costs. An expat living on an estate in Kűçűk Erenkőy 5 mins drive away (under Tatlisu Belediye) had the new smart meter fitted yesterday at 450 YTL plus KDA but no infrastructure charge. It would appear that only Esentepe Belediye is charging this high cost. Further to this is a UN Human Rights Paper (No 24) which deals with the right of humans to have access to clean water and sanitation and lays down the fact it the State's responsibility to provide the infrastructure. It would appear it is unlawful to deprive people of clean water, so the Mayor is acting against UN HR legislation.

It would appear tthe Mayor has now deployed security guards outside some of the main sites in the Esentepe area to stop the water deliveries.

Interesting days ahead.

Things look a bit serious now, re water delivery security... What next?

If you live on a complex in Esentepe and do NOT have your Kojan, then you have no authority to allow a third part (whoever they may be) to install pipework without the written permission from the landowner\developer.
This fact should be stated when dealing with the mayor, advising him that once we (the contractual owner) receives our Kojan then pipework can be installed and meters fitted.
Use the situation to your advantage and dont be bullied.
Michael

Hi Mick,

Totally agree with you on this but I don't think the Esentepe Mayor will listen to this argument. After all we are paying the property tax on our properties and my understanding is this that the Landowner/Developer should pay this until transfer of Kocans. What are we going to do when the tanker drivers are banned from our site, where at least 20 people live all year round. It is very worrying as the owners who only come out for holidays, do not want to pay all the money the mayor is asking. Also we have some Turkish and Turkish Cypriot owners, will they pay a different price to the rest of us?

Avril

Tankers have been stopped. Belideyesi Has stated that if you pay half the money they are after they will authorise a tanker to deliver water to your home.

I have heard that Kibtek has a freezing order on the Esentepe Belediyesi bank accounts, for non payment of the electricity bills, and that any money going into those accounts will pass to Kibtek. If that is true, what will happen to all the money which the Mayor is now extracting (almost said extorting) for the water installations? To Kibtek? To Esentepe's unpaid staff? To him personally for safekeeping? Down the drain? Time to call in the liquidators (no pun intended) I think.

Just to muddy the waters a bit more, having luckily sold my property in that hell hole Kyrenia 3 years ago and rented in Esentepe which I like very much I would add, that in all my 68 years I have never been so angry with management. Whoever made this decision, ( and it looks like a bit of buck passing ) should be ashamed of themselves.

oops missed a bit out, what I wanted to finish with is that Tenants have been forgotten here, my owner will pay no doubt but I have heard today of 2 owners who live in England are not particularly bothered and intend to pay the next time they come to Cyprus which will no doubt be next Spring. Oh and in the last 3 years I have paid on behalf of the owners over £2.000 rental tax, do these people not realise all this. If this isn't sorted very soon I am off, already have a buyer for some of my goods.

Posted today on Facebook to the Mayor of Esentepe, Cemal Erdoğan.

Eddie Celebi
4 hrs ·
this is for you Esentepe Belediyesi
On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
The Council of Ministers has laid down the price of the new smart meters as 2000 TL, plus 16% KDV and 1200 TL plus 16% KDV for infrastructure costs. Esentepe are try to charge 5,400 TL.
Yesterday in Kűçűk Erenkőy 5 mins drive away (under Tatlisu Belediye) some one was charged 450 TL + KDV for meter and no infrastructure cost.
What the Esentepe baskan Cemal Erdoğan is try to charge is extortion. Esentepe has no money due to mis-management and incompetance and they are trying to extort money from mostly the expat community who are living on sites outside Esentepe.
Everybody should boycott the Esentepe beach and local bars and restaurants stop doing charitable works for Esentepe. Maybe then they will realize how important the expats are and treat them accordingly and not as money cows.
Other municipalities are not doing what Esentepe are doing. Why I wonder is Esentepe being like this?

100% behind the embargo of Cypriot facilities in Esentepe and our help with the schools and local charities expats support. Maybe then the Cypriots will deselect the current Mayor and his council of cronies using expats to fund their financial mismanagement.

We also support 100% the embargo of all Cypriot facilities/ businesses in Esentepe and will no longer help with local schools or charities.
Where is the support from you locals for the expats in this whole disgusting saga? We have supported your businesses but no more.

Just a suggestion, if you want to get more local Cypriots 'on board'...

As the number of local Cypriots who actually read this English Language, mainly Ex-Pat Forum is probably rather limited, could you consider publicising the issue in other ways?.

Have you considered the possibility that unless they live outside the village and don't currently have a water connection, they are likely to be blissfully unaware of your plight?

Please forgive me if you're already doing so, and I've missed it!

I'm thinking of things like The Esentepe Community Website, the Turkish Language newspaper Kıbrıs (sister newspaper to the Cyprus Today) which apparently has by far the highest circulation in the country, notices displayed in local shops etc (although I don't know how keen they will be to support you in view of your proposed 'boycott' ). A simple A5 document giving the essential details - stuffed through letter boxes!

I'm sure that you can come up with other ideas, because you know your local area better than I do..

Good luck!

Hi Keith, locals are aware of the situation. Indeed, one advised me to boycott the village facilities. However, there also locals who will not get involved because they are not being charged the same rate (we are told) as expats. The Website owner is aware as he interviewed the Mayor together with an interpreter. The recommendation to use Kibris is a good one and I will enquire whether CT will act as an intermediary for us as the newspaper has covered the story, in part,

I guess our real difficulty is we have no rights here and no official organisation to represent our views to Government. We cannot even vote the Mayor and his party out of office. Maybe the BRS can get somewhere with the Minister concerned.

Anybody have an update on the water situation, please? Are the Mayor's security pickets still blocking entrances to estates? I was told by a Cypriot that the Mayor has been told to reduce costs by a higher government official and I was advised to inform forum users not to pay the 5472 YTL. The Mayor is using Turtle Bay as a test case and if owners capitulate there, it will be too late to retrieve the situation anywhere else.

I find it hard to believe the mayor plans to charge such a high cost, at least Dick Turpin wore a mask,

Sunny jim

Well there is a jeep blocking Forest Golf right now. When asked to move he replied he was from the beledire to stop water tankers. My husband said he was calling the police to have him removed, he went on the mobile and now there are two of them there!

The other half was in Esentepe village late this morning and noted there was a camera crew doing interviews and the mayor was also there. When he drove past Sencac supermarket there were a large group of people (? expats) with the TV crew.

LL

I drove past Turtle Bay this morning and there was a vehicle parked up by the entrance but not sure if it was the henchmen. Also saw a large group of what looked like expats outside Sencag.

I understand a Cypriot newspaper will soon publish an article with a photo of the illegal road blocks on estates. I wonder why the TRNC Police have not got involved in their removal? I am told by an ex-Cypriot policeman that only the Police are legally empowered to stop vehicles and people, and most certainly not mayors or belediye staff. Interesting times!!