Turkey wants a Cyprus that stands on its own feet: VP Oktay

Turkey wants a "Cyprus that stands on its own feet and creates jobs for its youth," the Turkish vice president said on April 1. 

Fuat Oktay, who is on a working visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), was welcomed by locals at the Ercan International Airport in Lefkoşa.

He met with the residents of Köprülü village.

Oktay also inspected a site in Güvercinlik village, where an industrial zone was planned to be built under a 2021 financial and economic agreement between Turkey and the TRNC. He was briefed about the planned third stage of the construction there.

After the inspection, the vice president said that one of the main goals of the 2021 financial agreement is to see a productive Cyprus.

He added that Turkey wants to see a Cyprus where investors invest and create employment.

Noting that the organized industrial zone is one of the areas they are focusing on this year, he said Turkey is far ahead in the field and that it wants to transfer its experience to the TRNC, including infrastructure, environmental planning, treatment facilities, roads and vocational high schools.

The vice president said in Turkey's development model, production, employment, and exports were realized together with the private sector, adding that they desire the same for the TRNC and held meetings with non-governmental organizations in the TRNC under this framework.


He stated that Turkey will be providing incentives to the TRNC, adding that industrialists, and not the bureaucracy, should have a say in the management of an organized industrial zone.


Oktay also underlined that they want to turn the industrial zone into a center of attraction for investors, including Turkish businessmen.

After his visit to...