Doğuş Derya: Government Associated with Corruption Presenting Itself as 'Clean Hands' is Perception Management

Discussing the cost of living, Derya mentioned the peculiar situation where certain goods are much cheaper in the south, even though the Turkish Cypriots are 30 times poorer than the Greek Cypriots. She attributed this to the northern part of the island becoming a transit area for goods coming from Turkey to be sold to Greek Cypriots. Derya expressed concern about the diminishing property ownership and purchasing power of the community, leading to the departure of educated individuals and an increase in emigration.

Derya addressed the decline in political participation, stating that people are deliberately impoverished, leading to a decrease in political engagement. She noted that the cost of participating in protests, such as traveling from Famagusta to Nicosia, is equivalent to a day or two of kitchen expenses. She also highlighted the intentional weakening of trade unions and the increase in government-controlled unions and non-governmental organizations.

Regarding social media, Derya criticized its role in creating a fragmented and memory-less society, where information is quickly forgotten. She mentioned the government's use of social engineering to manipulate societal structures strategically.

Turning to the prescription investigation, Derya criticized the government's attempt to portray itself as having "clean hands" despite being associated with corruption, suspicion, and legal irregularities. She expressed the desire for a different approach to the investigation, questioning the swift detention of doctors and pharmacists without fair treatment.

Derya acknowledged the independence of the judiciary and expressed confidence that it would make the right decisions. However, she continued to criticize the government, accusing it of distracting the public with non-essential issues.

Regarding social policies, Derya mentioned that the CTP Women's Organization prepared a report on social policies. She highlighted the discrepancy between the number of elderly individuals receiving social assistance and the limited capacity of state and private care homes, emphasizing the challenges faced by the elderly population.

Derya concluded by addressing the issue of homelessness, noting that the number of homeless locals is increasing. She questioned whether the government's policies indirectly aim to diminish the local population and criticized the lack of affordable childcare options and the government's failure to address the increasing problem of homelessness.