Nicosia, Cyprus. CTP deputy leader Erkut Sahali praised the bicommunal response to the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak in the Larnaca district. He highlighted that Turkish Cypriot authorities have donated 60,000 doses of the vaccine so far.
Vaccine support and cooperation
Sahali said that life can create conditions that lead to outcomes that may not be reached even through long preparations and negotiations. He said the fact that the first support for meeting vaccine needs came from northern Cyprus should not be overlooked or ignored.
He described the effort as producing a positive result because it was an active negotiation process, and said a more useful example of cooperation may not easily be experienced again. He added that its value should be understood and kept at hand for new events that life will impose.
Broader challenges and the Cyprus problem
Sahali said that on an island he described as too small to be divided, there are countless problems that Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots must address and solve together. He said that the Cyprus problem hinders people’s access to their rights.
He said that, in light of the bicommunal cooperation over the outbreak, he hoped the greatest gain and strongest source of hope would be that challenges contribute to greater awareness and a better understanding of the need for solutions.
How do you think bicommunal cooperation during crises could influence efforts to address other shared problems on the island?