Kyrenia harbour restoration to be completed “within a month”

In separate televised interviews, the north’s ‘tourism minister’ Fikri Ataoglu and Kyrenia mayor Murat Senkul both said restoration and renovation work at the Kyrenia harbour will be completed within a month.

Works were initially scheduled to be completed by the end of May, in time for the beginning of the summer season, but hit a series of setbacks along the way.

Senkul pointed the finger at the government for the various delays, saying the process for tendering the works happens too slowly, including with the latest budget allocated to the project.

“Although it was passed by cabinet, the additional budget has not been published in the official government gazette, so a contract cannot be signed. This is how days go by without any work being done in the harbour”, he said.

He added “instead of telling the public these facts, some of our friends our trying to kick the issue into touch. The country, especially its tradesmen, is being sacrificed to conflicts within the government”.

He said the harbour will be ready to be opened to the public if the ‘government’ allows the correct pebbles to be supplied to the municipality. The pebbles will form part of the pedestrianised area of the harbour.

Responding in a later interview, Ataoglu made assurances that the contract will be signed, and the pebbles would be made available in time for the harbour to reopen within a month.

Speaking on the previous delays, he said “there were delays due to certain events. It was not something any of us wanted. During this time, we tried to do our best to make sure the tradesmen didn’t suffer”.

“The important thing is the restoration of the Kyrenia habour begins and ends with an occasion and reaches the point we want. I believe the Kyrenia harbour will be every bit the harbour we missed and desired”.