Finance Minister Berova appointed acting head of transport ministry in northern Cyprus
Finance Minister Özdemir Berova has been appointed acting transport minister in the administration in northern Cyprus. He temporarily replaced Erhan Arıklı, who was dismissed from the post. This was reported by Cyprus Mail.
Berova has held the position of finance minister since 2024. Under the laws in force in the north of the island, he may serve as head of the transport ministry no later than September 12.
Dismissal of ministry officials
The document on the personnel decisions, signed by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and Berova, also announced the dismissal of three senior transport ministry officials. The positions were lost by ministry undersecretary Enver Öztürk, director Mustafa Ambar and ports department director Emsal Emirzadeoğulları.
Arıklı was dismissed on Wednesday, three days after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Kyrenia. According to the publication, at least 12 people died in the disaster.
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Prime minister's position and YDP reaction
Üstel stated that the decision regarding Arıklı was made so that the police and judicial authorities could conduct an investigation without doubts or fears of a conflict of interest. He stressed that the removal was not a political move against the YDP, led by Arıklı, and added that none of those dismissed can be considered guilty before a decision by the judicial authorities.
At the same time, Arıklı withdrew his party's support for the ruling coalition. After this, the coalition has an effective majority of only three votes in the legislature.
After the accident, the families of the missing sharply criticized Arıklı. People waited at the new Kyrenia port for information about their relatives and demanded that he come to them. Before his dismissal, Arıklı did not do so, nor did he join his party's delegation that visited the families at the port on Thursday and Friday.
