Northern Cyprus political debate focuses on 13th salary funding

Political debate in Northern Cyprus has centered on the funding of a 13th salary for civil servants and retirees. Erhan Arıklı, leader of the Rebirth Party, questioned how the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) would fund these payments if Turkish branch banks withheld necessary resources, suggesting potential political pressure from Turkey.

In response, CTP Nicosia MP Devrim Barçın clarified that these payments are not funded through commercial bank loans, but rather through advances taken from the Central Bank’s annual profit share. The debate highlights concerns regarding sustainable public finance and the nature of the relationship between the Turkish Cypriot people's democratic choices and institutional cooperation with Turkey.