News from North Cyprus

This page is not a regular article — it is our running diary of what is happening in North Cyprus. We follow the property market, transport and flights, the weather and the bigger events in the towns. A new entry is added every day, each one under its own date.

10 October 2026

In the Filo Jet case off Kyrenia, DNA analysis has confirmed the identity of another body recovered earlier — Mustafa Demir; twenty-seven people have now been brought up from the sea and the search goes on for the one person still unaccounted for. The nine people held, among them the captain and the shipping company’s director, were brought before the Kyrenia court again, which extended their custody by a further seven days. The dispute at the electricity utility KIB-TEK runs on: after the Council of Ministers postponed the electricity workers’ union EL-SEN’s strike for sixty days, other public-sector unions announced they will back the union with strike action of their own, while KIB-TEK board chairman Gürsel Uzun rejected the claim that workplace safety is being neglected — he says tenders for materials have been issued and that the action is hurting the public. The interior ministry has extended the ban on flying drones over Ercan airport and twelve surrounding villages, among them Akıncılar, Paşaköy, Dilekkaya and Balıkesir, for another three months — if you are bringing a drone, do not put it up in that area. The authorities published the figure of 96,487 Turkish Cypriots holding Republic of Cyprus identity cards, and food inspections announced that part of the pomegranate and peach consignments is being destroyed while a sesame shipment is going back to the supplier. The leaders of the two parts of the island meet on Tuesday 13 October in the buffer zone under UN auspices. The weather is settled and dry: clear to partly cloudy skies, with temperatures climbing to 28 to 29 °C inland and 26 to 28 °C on the coast — the mountain pass above Kyrenia should be dry.

9 October 2026

Parliament has passed the law setting out the election timetable — the parliamentary and municipal elections will now be held on the same day, Sunday 6 December, and for the first time without the mixed ballot known as karma oy, so a voter may only back candidates from a single party; after that the next vote in the north is not due until 2030, when the leadership election falls. Deputies also passed by a majority the amendment to the law establishing the Atatürk Teacher Academy and voted on firearms legislation. The search in the Filo Jet case off Kyrenia goes on for the one person still unaccounted for — the confirmed death toll stands at twenty-seven, and the nine people held, including the captain and the shipping company's director, remain in custody. A fire broke out at the Alayköy industrial estate near Nicosia today and was brought under control. The leaders of the two parts of the island meet on Tuesday 13 October at 3.30 pm in the buffer zone under UN auspices; on the table are confidence-building measures, the methodology of the talks and the core of the Cyprus question. Of the seven measures put forward by the UN Secretary-General, the Turkish Cypriot side has accepted six, and the question of new crossing points through the buffer zone remains open: the Greek Cypriot side is pressing for the simultaneous opening of Mia Milia and a crossing on the Athienou–Pyroi–Aglantzia axis, while the Turkish Cypriot side insists that Louroujina, Akıncılar in Turkish, be among them — it has neither accepted the proposal in its present form nor rejected it, so the matter stays on the table. A protocol has also been signed for the construction of two KYK student halls of residence, one in Nicosia and one in Kyrenia, under this year's economic and financial cooperation agreement with Turkey. Iskele is reminding residents that its campaign to microchip and register dogs in the town and the surrounding villages runs until 20 October. Police reported further road accidents on the main roads. The weather is pleasant and dry: clear to partly cloudy skies, with highs of 30 °C in Nicosia, near Ercan, at Geçitkale and in Famagusta, 29 °C in Kyrenia, Güzelyurt, Beyarmudu and Iskele and 28 °C at Lefke and along the north coast, under a moderate northerly to westerly wind — the mountain pass above Kyrenia should be dry.

8 October 2026

In the Filo Jet case off Kyrenia, one more body was brought up from the sea today — that takes the confirmed death toll to twenty-seven, with one person still unaccounted for; one of the most recent recoveries has been formally identified as Orhan Bekret, and the authorities say the search will go on until the last missing person has been found. The families affected are meanwhile setting up an association of their own, Mavide Yarım Kalanlar, so that they can pursue their claims together and keep better track of the proceedings; the bar association is handling their civil cases free of charge. The dispute over the strike at the electricity utility KIB-TEK has sharpened: the Council of Ministers postponed the electricity workers’ union EL-SEN’s strike for sixty days on the grounds that it would seriously disrupt essential services, and the union answered with a fresh one-day strike from midnight. EL-SEN is demanding compliance with occupational health and safety rules, that posts at KIB-TEK be filled through proper advertisement and examination, promotions in line with the collective agreement, and the removal of personnel branch manager Mustafa Harutoğlu; from the management side came the charge that this is not a pursuit of rights but a political action, to which the union replied that it will not call the strike off until workplace safety is secured. KIB-TEK board chairman Gürsel Uzun added today that the utility will act against those who do not comply with the Council of Ministers’ decision. Other bodies have weighed in as well — the teachers’ union KTÖS called for workplace safety to be secured rather than the strike banned, and the KTEMB association wants the problems at KIB-TEK settled before they grow any further. The power station shift crews and the standby teams are staying at their posts, so faults are still being dealt with. Police reported that a person hidden in a lorry trailer tried to enter the north without permission — if you are crossing at the checkpoints or coming in through the ports, expect more thorough checks. Two items from the property market: excavation work has begun on the first phase of the Viva project in Iskele, and the company SPOINT has announced a tourism complex of one thousand one hundred and fifty-nine apartments, while agents report continuing interest in land held under Turkish title, most of it around Kyrenia. In Kyrenia itself, visitor numbers are up by roughly thirty per cent since the old harbour was restored. The weather has settled: mostly clear skies with only local showers, around 26 to 27 °C by day in Kyrenia and 19 °C overnight, a northerly wind of about 11 km/h and a sea temperature of 26 °C, so the swimming season carries on.

7 October 2026

The leaders of the two parts of the island will meet on Tuesday 13 October at 3.30 pm in the buffer zone under UN auspices — it will be the first time Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides have sat down since September’s UN General Assembly, and on the table are confidence-building measures, the methodology of the talks and their substance, the questions the Secretary-General links to preparing a wider 5+1 meeting; UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín has warned that the favourable window of opportunity is gradually closing. The election restrictions ahead of the municipal elections on 6 December came into force today — appointments and the advertising of vacant posts in the public service are suspended, as are public tenders, the granting of citizenship and the issuing of passports, and no opening ceremonies may be held; the Council of Ministers passed roughly one hundred and fifty decisions in the final forty-eight hours before that deadline. The electricity workers’ union EL-SEN is on strike at KIB-TEK for a second day — the union says no request for talks has come from the management and the strike is to continue tomorrow as well; the power station shift crews and the standby teams are staying at their posts, so faults are still being dealt with. The European Commission has replied to president Tufan Erhürman’s August letter about the obstructions he says are eroding trust between the two sides — it states that the concerns have been “carefully noted” and refers back to the 2004 EU Council decision on ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. In the Filo Jet case off Kyrenia, a twenty-fourth body was brought up from the sea today and is being identified — that makes four bodies recovered since the weekend, two of which were formally identified last night, leaving four people unaccounted for, while the nine people held remain in custody. A new regulation on special care centres for people with disabilities was published in the Official Gazette today. A low-pressure system with cooler, damper air sits over the island: light to partly cloudy skies, showers or thunderstorms in places, temperatures around the seasonal average and a moderate northerly to westerly wind turning stronger in places during the rain — Kyrenia is forecast around 28 °C, so allow for wet tarmac on the mountain pass above the town.

6 October 2026

One more body was brought up from the Filo Jet wreck off Kyrenia today — that takes the confirmed death toll to twenty-one, with seven people still unaccounted for; the identification is under way and the authorities say the search will go on until the last missing person has been found. The electricity workers' union EL-SEN is on general strike at KIB-TEK today — its demands on occupational health and safety, raised after the accident in the transformer room, went unanswered, according to union president Ahmet Tuğcu; the power station shift crews, the call centre, the SCADA network control room and the district standby teams are staying at their posts, so faults are still being dealt with, and the strike is to continue until the union and the management come to an agreement. The electoral commission YSK announced that the process for the municipal elections set for 6 December begins tomorrow, 7 October, and with it the election restrictions: appointments and the advertising of vacant posts in the public service are suspended, as are all stages of public tenders, the granting of citizenship and the issuing of passports and firearms licences, and no opening or foundation-stone ceremonies may be held — parties must declare their candidates by 27 October, nominations are filed on 30 October and the provisional candidate lists are published on 31 October. So if you have citizenship or passport paperwork going through the offices, expect it to slip past the election. Word from Kyrenia is that the tourist harbour in the middle of town is no longer coping — ships are bigger and more numerous, the port has nowhere to expand and lorries queue at the entrance around midday; the Taşucu–Kyrenia ferry link, meanwhile, has been running again since the end of September, with forty-nine sailings scheduled in both directions between September and November. The meteorological service has warned of rain today and on Wednesday, with locally stronger winds while it falls: partly cloudy skies with showers, a high of 23 °C in Kyrenia and Famagusta, 24 °C in Nicosia, Güzelyurt and Iskele, and around 17 °C overnight — allow for wet tarmac on the mountain pass above Kyrenia. At the high school in Değirmenlik the investigation into a threat posted on an anonymous social-media page continues; the school says teaching is going ahead under heightened security measures.

5 October 2026

In the Filo Jet case, the families of those still unaccounted for renewed their call today for the search not to be called off until the last person has been found — the nine people held remain in custody after Friday's ruling by the Kyrenia court, and the investigation continues. It emerged today that the watertight doors between the ship's compartments, which are supposed to be kept closed while a vessel is under way, were not closed; the investigator named the captain, the chief engineer and the second engineer as the men responsible for them, and expert reports on whether the earlier repair was adequate, along with the records of the ship's sailings over its last two months, have been added to the file. The electricity workers' union EL-SEN has called a general strike for tomorrow, and the teachers' union KTOEÖS went on strike this afternoon in central Famagusta and at the schools around it — if you have anything to settle at an office or a school there tomorrow, expect disruption. Today is also World Teachers' Day, and the KTÖS union has called off its traditional solidarity dinners as a mark of respect for those who died in the Kyrenia disaster. The Kahve Dünyası city marathon was run in Nicosia this morning — hundreds of runners set off on the twenty-one-kilometre course at seven, and the ten-kilometre race was started by the mayor of the northern half of the city, Mehmet Harmancı. The National Unity Party, UBP, marked fifty years since its founding with a reception, and the Democratic Party announced its candidates for December's local elections along with the names it will be backing. A bus overturned on the Nicosia–Kyrenia main road today and several people were injured, and a further accident at Çiklos left two people hurt; if you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac and slow down. The meteorological service forecasts partly cloudy skies with showers and thunderstorms in places and gradual clearing, a moderate northerly to westerly wind turning stronger in places during the rain, and temperatures around the seasonal average — Kyrenia is forecast a high of 25 °C, 17 °C overnight and a chance of rain of almost ninety per cent. Public works and transport minister Faiz Sucuoğlu announced that new asphalting work is starting at Famagusta port. The İGEM youth centre opened in Iskele at 2 pm today, and economy and energy minister Hasan Taçoy received representatives of the Turkish Cypriot Employers' Association. At the high school in Değirmenlik, an investigation into four students has been opened over a post on an anonymous social-media page; the school says teaching continues under heightened security measures.

4 October 2026

The search of the Filo Jet wreck off Kyrenia produced another recovery today — one more body was brought up from the ship and is being identified by DNA testing; that takes the confirmed death toll to twenty, with eight people still unaccounted for. At the Dr Burhan Nalbantoğlu state hospital in Nicosia, surgeons carried out the island's first mitral valve operation using robotic surgery — the patient is in their fifties, and health minister Hakan Dinçyürek said the method means smaller incisions, a shorter stay in intensive care and a lower risk of complications. The Council of Ministers granted citizenship to three hundred and thirty-eight people. The government announced interest support for loans to agriculture, tourism, tradespeople and the service sector, meant to improve businesses' access to financing and keep production going. The rain of the past few days was heaviest on the Karpaz today — Sipahi recorded 55 litres per square metre in twenty-four hours, with 19 at Tatlısu, 18 near Ercan, 17 at Beyarmudu, 15 at Kantara, 14 at Balıkesir and 13 each at Değirmenlik and Dörtyol. The meteorological service forecasts partly to heavily cloudy skies with showers and thunderstorms and gradual clearing, a moderate northerly wind turning stronger in places during the rain, and around 28 °C on the coast and inland alike; for the winter ahead it has published an assessment of the El Niño effect — warmer and drier months, but with a risk of short, intense downpours. Police reported road accidents on the Nicosia–Kyrenia main road and at Gemikonağı in which three people were injured, and island-wide traffic checks saw 363 drivers reported and one arrested — so if you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac and slow down. Sunday is otherwise quiet on the island: only the duty pharmacies are keeping service in the towns. On the cultural side, president Tufan Erhürman attended the opening concert of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra's 2026–2027 season in the Blue Hall of the presidential palace, and the autumn recitals of the 28th International Bellapais Music Festival continue, moving to the Naci Talat Foundation in Nicosia on 11 October.

3 October 2026

President Tufan Erhürman returned to the subject of children's rights and rejected tying them to other open questions — he said he gives priority to the violations that affect children and young people every day and leave irreversible marks on their lives, and that the rights of Maronite children, of children at the Greek school in the Karpaz, of children of mixed marriages and of children with Turkish or other foreign parents are all on his agenda. The 10th International North Cyprus Paediatrics Symposium opened today at the Concorde Tower hotel in Nicosia; organised by the Turkish Cypriot paediatrics association, it runs through tomorrow and is meant to align diagnostic and treatment protocols and bring them closer to international standards. The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry, KTSO, held its 40th general assembly at 10 am in its own conference hall, where members approved the activity report and the financial report. There was no new court step in the Filo Jet case today — the nine people held remain in custody for a further seven days after yesterday's decision by the Kyrenia court, and the analysis of the data from the voyage data recorder continues. The rain of the past few days left the heaviest readings at Ziyamet, where 20 litres per square metre fell in twenty-four hours, with 17 at Alsancak and 15 each at Lapta, Akıncılar, Doğancı and Yeşilırmak; the meteorological service says showers and thunderstorms will hold until Monday, with temperatures on the coast and inland alike staying between 26 and 29 °C. Police reported two separate road accidents in which both drivers were over the alcohol limit — if you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac and take it more slowly.

2 October 2026

Turkey's vice-president Cevdet Yılmaz arrived on the island for a one-day visit — he gave a joint press statement with prime minister Ünal Üstel at Ercan airport at 2.30 pm and at 4 pm attended the opening of two new state hospitals, in Kyrenia and Güzelyurt. The amendment to the Election and Referendum Law that abolishes the mixed ballot known as karma oy was published in the Official Gazette after president Tufan Erhürman signed it and is now in force — it is meant to apply at December's vote. Erhürman also spoke about EU citizenship for the children of mixed Turkish and Greek Cypriot marriages: in his view this is not a confidence-building measure but a question of human rights and non-discrimination, even though it is also one of the seven measures proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The investigation into the sinking of the Filo Jet continues with the analysis of the voyage data recorder recovered from the wreck; the thirteen people still unaccounted for were not found inside the ship. Kyrenia district court today extended the custody of the nine people held over the sinking by a further seven days. Police seized a pistol and sixteen live rounds at Zeytinlik near Kyrenia. A switch in a KIB-TEK transformer room on Dereboyu in Nicosia exploded in the afternoon — a thirty-two-year-old employee was injured during maintenance work and is in intensive care at the Dr Burhan Nalbantoğlu state hospital; the union is calling for better protective equipment and tighter workplace safety. Erol Barçın was elected the new president of the Turkish Cypriot Medical Association. The 10th International North Cyprus Paediatrics Symposium opens tomorrow, the first event of its kind on the island since 2006. Two new exhibitions, “The Immortal Faces of Art” and “Deviation”, opened at the LESAM gallery. A low-pressure system with cooler, damper air sits over the island: partly to heavily cloudy skies, showers or thunderstorms in places, around 28 °C on the coast and inland alike, and a moderate northerly to westerly wind turning stronger in places during the rain — Kyrenia is forecast a high of 28 °C, 17 °C overnight and a high chance of rain, so allow for wet tarmac on the mountain pass above the town.

1 October 2026

The search of the Filo Jet wreck has ended — the vessel Optimus Prime scanned the ship section by section at a depth of about 554 metres without finding the thirteen people still unaccounted for, but it did recover the voyage data recorder, the so-called black box, whose analysis the authorities say could determine the direction of the investigation; searches in the air, on land and at sea continue, and two of those who died in the disaster were buried today in Hatay in Turkey. President Tufan Erhürman responded to claims aired in the southern media after a meeting of the Greek Cypriot National Council, saying of the document from UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín that it will be handed over once negotiations begin and there is some use in it. The new State Laboratory building was formally opened in Nicosia today — the original premises were wrecked by a fire in 2016 and the laboratory had been running at reduced capacity for years since; the new complex, with more than two thousand square metres of floor space, will handle everything from public health and food safety through import and export inspections to forensic analysis. Parliamentary speaker Ziya Öztürkler, prime minister Ünal Üstel and health minister Hakan Dinçyürek attended the opening. Public works and transport minister Faiz Sucuoğlu announced that the repair and replacement of the lighting at Famagusta port was completed overnight, clearing the dark patches there; the lighting at Kyrenia's tourist harbour is next in line, and the ministry also wants to improve the passenger waiting halls. The meteorological service issued a warning for heavy rain between midday and 5 pm: partly to heavily cloudy skies, showers or thunderstorms in places, temperatures of around 26 to 29 °C on the coast and inland alike, and the rain is expected to hold until Monday with a further drop of about two degrees. If you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac.

30 September 2026

Parliament sat in extraordinary session today and passed by a majority the amendment to the Election and Referendum Law that president Tufan Erhürman had sent back for reconsideration — the mixed-ballot system known as karma oy is thereby abolished for both parliamentary and municipal elections, and the new rules are meant to apply at December's vote. Back from New York, Erhürman used a press conference at the presidential palace to set out how he sees the way ahead on the Cyprus question: he is not walking away from the negotiating table and will not do so, he intends to work on the issue throughout his five-year term although he would rather a settlement came sooner, and he regards weekly meetings with Nikos Christodoulides as perfectly possible — what matters, he said, is not how often the two sides sit down but whether the talks stay focused on a concrete subject; he is also explaining to international partners the steps that in his view are eroding trust between the two sides. Today is also the last day to settle arrears on social insurance contributions on the concessionary terms, under which the debt could be spread over as much as thirty-six months. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its thirty-second day — the vessel Optimus Prime is still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship and thirteen people remain unaccounted for; police have taken two hundred and ninety-five statements in the investigation so far, and on the findings released to date both the captain and the shipping company's management knew from June this year about the damage to the ship's port side and about the careless repair it was given. A low-pressure system with cooler, damper air sits over the island: partly to heavily cloudy skies, showers or thunderstorms in places, a moderate and at times stronger wind from the south and west, around 30 °C inland and around 29 °C on the coast — if you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac.

29 September 2026

Tufan Erhürman responded today to claims that he had turned down a three-way meeting in New York — he said these were not invitations from the Secretary-General but meeting requests from Nikos Christodoulides, and repeated that he wants to sit down once there is agreement on confidence-building measures or on a rotating presidency; of the seven measures put forward by António Guterres, he said the Turkish Cypriot side has accepted six. Word also came out of New York that the Republic of Cyprus' delegation to the UN had spent the high-level week trying to discourage diplomatic circles from meeting the Turkish Cypriot leader. The Filo Jet case was back in court today — the captain, the first officer, six crew members and the shipping company's director were brought before Kyrenia district court, which extended their custody by a further seven days; relatives of the thirteen people still unaccounted for gathered outside the courthouse to demand justice. The investigation established today that a damaged section of the ship had been repaired at a port in the north without anyone reporting it to the port authority. The search of the wreck is in its thirty-first day, with the vessel Optimus Prime still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship. Cyprus Forum 2026 wraps up in Nicosia today; the mayor of the northern half of the city, Mehmet Harmancı, stayed away after the organisers changed the wording of his title, the mayor of the southern half, Charalambos Prountzos, withdrew in solidarity, and the leader of the LDH party, Engin Deniz Görgüner, pulled out as well, though the event is running to programme. Turkey, meanwhile, has begun offshore work on the pipeline that is to bring natural gas to the north of the island. The weather stays summery — around 31 °C inland and around 30 °C on the coast.

28 September 2026

Recruitment for two hundred police officers opens today — one hundred and eighty posts for men and twenty for women; applications are made in person at the district police directorates from today until 6 October, on 3 October only until 5 pm, and candidates must be citizens of the north, hold at least a secondary-school diploma and be between eighteen and thirty. The north's first autism centre opens in Nicosia at 3 pm today, in the premises of the former Çağlayan children's home, with prime minister Ünal Üstel attending. The police have published the results of simultaneous checks across the north: 6,306 drivers were checked, 1,362 of them reported, 62 vehicles taken off the road and fourteen people detained for residing without permission — if you are driving here, expect patrols away from the main roads too. Tufan Erhürman flew back from New York last night, so the Cyprus question moves back onto the island — no new meeting of the two leaders has been announced yet. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its thirtieth day — the vessel Optimus Prime is still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship and, on the figures published so far, thirteen people remain unaccounted for. A low-pressure system with warm, damp air sits over the island: partly cloudy skies, local showers and gradual clearing, a moderate and at times stronger wind from the south and west, and around 29 °C on the coast and inland alike — if you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac during the showers.

27 September 2026

Tufan Erhürman flies back from New York this evening — he is due to land on the island at around 7.55 pm after his contacts on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, which in the end produced no three-way meeting with Nikos Christodoulides, with the two sides giving different accounts of why it did not happen. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-ninth day — the vessel Optimus Prime is still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship and, on the figures published so far, thirteen people remain unaccounted for. Sunday is otherwise quiet on the island, with no larger events announced and only the duty pharmacies keeping service in the towns. Kyrenia is around 29 °C today and 20 °C overnight, with a north-westerly wind of about 22 km/h and a sea temperature still at 27 °C, so the swimming season carries on.

26 September 2026

Tufan Erhürman met UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York today — the meeting was set for one in the afternoon local time, and he returns to the island tomorrow, 27 September. No three-way meeting with Nikos Christodoulides took place, and the two sides give different accounts of why: Christodoulides said Guterres had been considering convening one and that he was willing to extend his stay in New York, but that the response from the other side was negative, while Erhürman said no trilateral had been on the programme at all, that Christodoulides raised the possibility of a 2+1 format at his own meeting with the Secretary-General on Thursday, and that it was then passed to the Turkish Cypriot side by special envoy María Ángela Holguín. The Republic of Cyprus' permanent representative to the UN circulated a letter to the permanent representatives of member states asking them to refrain from meeting the Turkish Cypriot representatives who are in New York; the letter also criticised Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speech to the General Assembly. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-eighth day — the vessel Optimus Prime is still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship and, on the figures published so far, thirteen people remain unaccounted for. Kyrenia is around 27 °C today and 22 °C overnight with no rain, so the mountain pass above the town should be dry.

24 September 2026

Tufan Erhürman met the UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín in New York today; he is due to talk to Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday 26 September and returns to the island on 27 September. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-sixth day — the remotely operated vehicle from the vessel Optimus Prime is clearing debris at a depth of about 554 metres to open the way into the sealed compartments and the lower decks; fifteen bodies have been recovered so far, thirteen people are still unaccounted for, and the nine people detained over the sinking remain in custody. The ministry of economy and energy issued a written warning to two filling stations that stopped selling fuel before the new pricing decision took effect; minister Hasan Taçoy said the complaints came in through the 171 consumer line and that a repeat will bring a fine straight away. Turkey's defence ministry told its weekly briefing that it continues to follow developments on the island. The Kutlu Adalı press awards were handed out today, with Cemre Peral Yanıker of the TAK news agency among the recipients. The cultural season continues at Bellapais Abbey, where Daniil Bulayev and the Davinspiro Camerata perform this evening. The weather is turning warmer again — light to partly cloudy skies, local showers or thunderstorms, a moderate and at times stronger wind from the south and west, around 31 °C on the coast and about 32 °C inland. If you are driving over the mountain pass above Kyrenia, allow for wet tarmac during the showers.

23 September 2026

Tufan Erhürman flew to New York this morning for consultations on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly — he is due to meet the UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín on 24 September and Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday 26 September, returning home on 27 September; before leaving he repeated that a fresh meeting in the 5+1 format is worth convening only when the conditions exist for it to produce something. From the UN podium, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on the international community to recognise the north of the island, for the fourth year running. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-fifth day — the remotely operated vehicle from the vessel Optimus Prime is cutting and clearing debris at a depth of about 554 metres to open the way to the lower deck; thirteen people remain unaccounted for, the voyage data recorder has yet to be found, and the judicial investigation covers nine people including the captain, crew members and the shipping company's management. The Ombudsman handed parliamentary speaker Ziya Öztürkler the periodic report on the office's work for the first half of 2026, and the health ministry has extended the deadline for HPV vaccination. There has been a sharp public reaction to sports department head Sertoğlu's remark that the new Nicosia stadium is not open to debate but a necessity; applications to the police academy, meanwhile, are open until 25 September. The weather stays cooler after Tuesday's change — Kyrenia can expect showers, a high of 23 °C and a north-easterly wind of 15 to 30 km/h, so allow for wet tarmac on the mountain pass above the town.

22 September 2026

The weather broke overnight — after Sunday's low thirties came rain and a sharp drop in temperature; the heaviest rainfall of the past twenty-four hours was recorded at Yenierenköy with 34 litres per square metre, and Kyrenia can expect showers today, a high of 23 °C and a north-easterly wind of 15 to 30 km/h, so allow for wet tarmac if you are driving over the mountain pass above the town. Nicosia's five-day water shutdown, in place since 18 September for maintenance and repairs on the Yeni Dikmen, Eski Dikmen and Eşref Bitlis reservoirs, ends today. School buses were back on their routes this morning — the operators resumed carrying pupils after a protocol was signed, so morning traffic in the towns will be heavier again. Erhürman's New York schedule has been settled: he leaves the island on the morning of Wednesday 23 September, meets the UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín on 24 September and Secretary-General António Guterres only on Saturday 26 September, returning home on the evening of Sunday 27 September; the high-level week of the 81st General Assembly runs from today until 28 September, and there will be no trilateral meeting or 5+1 format in New York. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-fourth day — the vessel Optimus Prime is still working at a depth of about 554 metres in the enclosed compartments of the ship, thirteen people remain unaccounted for and the voyage data recorder has yet to be found. The bar association has published a list of lawyers offering free legal aid to those affected by the disaster. The EU Information Centre is holding a panel discussion on the future of urban mobility today.

21 September 2026

The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-third day — the vessel Optimus Prime is working at a depth of about 554 metres and going through the enclosed compartments inside the ship; thirteen people are still unaccounted for and the voyage data recorder has yet to be found. The high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly opened in New York today under the theme of restoring trust and managing transformation. Nikos Christodoulides, who arrived yesterday, is due to meet the UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín on Tuesday evening, address the General Assembly on Wednesday and hold talks with Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday 24 September — he intends to hand him a nineteen-point package covering confidence-building measures, the methodology of the negotiations and the core of the Cyprus question. At a press conference at the presidential palace today, Tufan Erhürman confirmed that he travels to New York on 23 September and will meet both Guterres and Holguín that same day. The two leaders will not sit down together with the Secretary-General in New York — Erhürman repeated that a meeting which produces nothing serves no purpose and that concrete movement has to come first at home in Nicosia; what he expects from the New York contacts is a roadmap for how the process continues. In Güzelyurt today, prime minister Ünal Üstel opened Cypfruvex's new cold-storage complex with a capacity of fifteen thousand tonnes — built with Turkish funding under TOBB coordination, it should let citrus growers keep their crop for longer and bring it to market at a better moment, while raising the company's processing and export capacity. There were personnel changes in the administration: Mustafa Yaver became district governor of Famagusta, Murat Zeki Civelek took up a director's post at the interior ministry, and appointments were also made at the ministry of public works and transport. Nicosia is in its fourth day without water — the shutdown for renewal, maintenance and repairs covers the Yeni Dikmen, Eski Dikmen and Eşref Bitlis reservoirs and every area supplied from them, and runs until tomorrow, 22 September, so if you live or are staying there, lay in supplies in advance. The new Atatürk Stadium and multi-purpose sports complex was presented in Nicosia on Saturday — the design provides for eight thousand seats built to UEFA criteria, twenty-five boxes and parking for about seven hundred cars; the federations and the sporting community now have roughly a month to comment on it before the project moves to the groundbreaking stage. Since August's disaster part of the travel off the island has shifted into the air — Pegasus and AJet have put on extra services to Ercan and adjusted how tickets are sold, so if your sailing has fallen through, look for seats outside the original timetable as well. A low-pressure system with cooler, damper air aloft sits over the island: mostly light cloud is expected, with brief light showers inland around midday, temperatures climbing to 34 °C in Nicosia and near Ercan and to about 32 °C in Kyrenia, under a moderate southerly to westerly wind.

20 September 2026

The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-second day — the vessel Optimus Prime is working at a depth of about 554 metres and concentrating on the enclosed compartments inside the ship; thirteen people are still unaccounted for and the voyage data recorder has yet to be found, while on 18 September the court extended the custody of the nine people held over the disaster by a further seven days. Nikos Christodoulides flies to New York today, where he is due to meet the UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín on Tuesday evening, address the UN General Assembly at midday on Wednesday and hold talks with Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday morning. Tufan Erhürman travels to New York on 23 September and is to meet Guterres and Holguín separately; the decisive date for the Cyprus question is Thursday 24 September, by which point the Secretary-General will have heard both sides. The north's foreign ministry today repeated its call on the international community to acknowledge its sovereign equality and equal international status — the statement came days before the talks in New York. The Home for Cooperation in the buffer zone in Nicosia marks the International Day of Peace today: a panel on racism and discrimination starts at 4 pm, an educational walk on the city and peacebuilding runs from 5.30 to 7.30 pm, and younger participants can join a joint painting session from 6.30 pm. Nicosia is in its third day without water — the shutdown for maintenance and repairs on the water network runs until 22 September, so if you live or are staying there, lay in supplies in advance. The meteorological service forecasts patchy fog on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings — slow down if you are on the road between Nicosia and Kyrenia at that hour. It is set to warm up again during the day: 31 to 34 °C on the coast and 35 to 38 °C inland, with a moderate southerly to westerly wind. If you drive across the crossings to the south, note that the Republic of Cyprus has extended its reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel until 30 November.