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.

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.

19 September 2026

The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its twenty-first day and is still concentrated on the inside of the ship at a depth of about 554 metres, where fourteen missing people are being looked for; the Turkish vessel TCG Işın has meanwhile completed its part of the search-and-rescue operation and left the area, while the judicial investigation and the parliamentary committee's work continue. Today is Veterans' Day — ceremonies marking the 105th anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk being granted the title of Gazi and the rank of Marshal were held at the military cemetery in Boğaz and at the Atatürk monument in Nicosia. Nicosia is in its second 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. Nikos Christodoulides flies to New York on Sunday 20 September, where he is due to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and to meet Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday morning — Guterres will decide on the next step in the Cyprus question once he has heard both sides. The weather is pleasant: Kyrenia is around 29 °C by day and 24 °C at night, partly cloudy, with a north-westerly wind of about 15 km/h and a sea temperature still at 28 °C.

18 September 2026

Turkey's vice-president Cevdet Yılmaz arrived on the island today: he gave a joint press statement with prime minister Ünal Üstel at Ercan airport, attended a symposium on tackling addiction and the state commemoration at Atlılar, where he also opened the new museum to the victims from the villages of Muratağa, Atlılar and Sandallar. The search of the Filo Jet wreck is in its eighteenth day and has moved deeper inside the ship — the specialist vessel Optimus Prime is working at a depth of about 554 metres in compartments that had been unreachable until now; fourteen people are still unaccounted for, and the ship's data recorder, which should help establish the cause, has not yet been found. After yesterday's talks with Nikos Christodoulides, Tufan Erhürman said the conditions for an expanded meeting in the 5+1 format have not yet been met and that no trilateral meeting is planned on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly; the two leaders discussed the memorandum of understanding and the core of the Cyprus question. Planned water cuts apply in several areas from today until 22 September, and Nicosia is to be left without supply for five days while maintenance and repair work is carried out on the water network — if you live or are staying there, lay in water in advance. The weather has eased — Kyrenia is around 27 °C by day and 23 °C at night, with a north-westerly wind of about 16 km/h and a sea temperature still at 28 °C. From 5 to 7 pm today Famagusta hosts “Yavaş Yavaş Mağusa”, a cycling and walking tour of the old town starting at Namık Kemal Square.

17 September 2026

The leaders of the two parts of the island, Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides, met in the buffer zone at eleven this morning — their last talks before the UN General Assembly in New York. On the table were the methodology of the coming negotiations and the tensions in the buffer zone, which Christodoulides had said in advance he would raise. The search for those missing from the ferry Filo Jet is in its seventeenth day: remotely operated robots are still working at the wreck at a depth of about 554 metres, fourteen people remain unaccounted for, and the parliamentary committee of inquiry chaired by Sunat Atun has begun its work. The weather has eased a little — Kyrenia is forecast to reach 31 °C with around 21 °C overnight, a short afternoon shower is possible and the wind is coming from the west. The motoring federation KKTOK has referred to its disciplinary board an incident that happened during the 49th North Cyprus Rally; the investigation opened today. In Famagusta on Friday 18 September, from 5 to 7 pm, the European Mobility Week event “Yavaş Yavaş Mağusa” offers a cycling and walking tour of the old town starting at Namık Kemal Square — bring your own bicycle.

16 September 2026

The search for those missing from the ferry Filo Jet is in its sixteenth day — a third search vessel has arrived in Cypriot waters, and nine ships are now working the area alongside eleven sea and air units. The work at the wreck at a depth of about 554 metres is done by remotely operated robots deployed from the TCG Alemdar, and the newly arrived robot can dive to a thousand metres; fourteen people are still unaccounted for. Parliament has set up a committee of inquiry into the ferry that sank off Kyrenia harbour on 30 August; MPs elected Sunat Atun of the UBP as its chair. On Thursday 17 September at eleven in the morning Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides meet in the buffer zone — their last talks before the UN General Assembly, with tensions in the buffer zone on the agenda alongside the methodology of the negotiations. In Famagusta, on Friday 18 September from 5 to 7 pm, the European Mobility Week event “Yavaş Yavaş Mağusa” takes place: a cycling and walking tour of the walled old town starting from Namık Kemal Square — bring your own bicycle. The universities UKÜ and GAÜ have signed a protocol on scientific and academic cooperation. If you use the crossings to the south of the island, expect stricter customs checks — the Greek Cypriot customs service reports seizures and fines for goods that may not be carried across. Schools are now running at full capacity, so expect heavier morning traffic in the towns.

15 September 2026

The school year is now fully under way — secondary and vocational schools went back today, so expect heavier morning traffic in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta. The first day comes with a school-bus dispute: the Turkish Cypriot Public Transporters' Union says it will not start carrying pupils until a protocol and new contracts are signed, and wants fares to be adjusted automatically in line with fuel, wage and insurance costs. Education minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu opened the rebuilt primary school in Çayırova, which replaces a building that no longer met earthquake safety standards. The search at the wreck of the ferry Filo Jet continues — fourteen of the twenty-eight people who went missing have been found so far, the area around the wreck at a depth of about 554 metres is monitored around the clock by aircraft, drones and helicopters, and a company specialising in deep-sea operations is preparing to work inside the vessel. The sinking has political consequences too: speaking in Kyrenia, the leader of the opposition CTP, Sıla Usar İncirli, called for maritime administration to be separated from port management, for a standalone maritime department to be set up and for vessel inspections to be tightened. Ahead of December's local elections the first candidates are coming forward — businessman Koral Bozkurt announced his candidacy for mayor of Famagusta. The weather stays summery — 28 to 31 °C on the coast, 34 to 37 °C inland, 30 to 33 °C in the mountains and 22 to 25 °C at night by the sea, under partly cloudy skies. On Thursday 17 September the leaders of the two parts of the island, Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides, meet in the buffer zone.

14 September 2026

The school year started on the island today — around 59,000 primary-school pupils went back to their classrooms, with secondary and vocational schools following on Tuesday. Expect heavier traffic in Kyrenia and Nicosia between seven and eight in the morning. A new phase of the search has begun at the wreck of the ferry Filo Jet: the deep-sea survey vessel Optimus Prime has arrived at the site and is working at a depth of around 554 metres with a remotely operated vehicle rated to a thousand metres, concentrating on the interior of the wreck where the missing are being looked for. The weather stays two to three degrees above the September average: 37 °C was recorded in Nicosia and near Ercan, 33 °C in Famagusta and 32 °C in Kyrenia and Iskele. On Thursday 17 September the leaders of the two parts of the island, Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides, meet again in the buffer zone.

13 September 2026

The investigation into the sinking of the Filo Jet has moved on to an expert report commissioned by the police: it found that the crew gave passengers no evacuation instructions, that the distress call went out late and that the captain left the ship without managing the emergency. The captain, seven crew members and the shipping company's managing director are in custody in an investigation into causing death by negligence; the toll stands at fourteen dead and fourteen missing. The property market remains subdued — hardly any new projects have been launched this year and construction costs are roughly a fifth higher than a year ago, so developers are sitting tight rather than selling at a loss. The weather is still summery: around 32 °C by day, around 23 °C at night, and the sea off Kyrenia is still about 27 °C. Primary schools go back on Monday, so expect heavier morning traffic in Kyrenia and Nicosia.

12 September 2026

Parliament sent a resolution on early elections to committee for fast-track review; the vote would be held on 6 December alongside the local elections, but the date only becomes final once at least 26 of the fifty members approve it. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel's government is down to 25 seats after the YDP left the coalition, which it did when transport and public works minister Erhan Arıklı was removed following the sinking of the Filo Jet. Fourteen deaths have now been confirmed in the 30 August disaster and fourteen people remain missing; nine people have been detained in connection with it, including the ship's captain. The school year starts on Monday 14 September in primary schools and on Tuesday 15 September in secondary and vocational ones — some 59,000 pupils return to 196 schools, so expect heavier morning traffic in the towns.

11 September 2026

The island's news is still dominated by the sinking of the ferry Filo Jet, which went down on 30 August on the run from Kyrenia to Taşucu in Turkey with 259 passengers and eight crew on board; 239 people were rescued and the search for those still missing continues. The wreck has been located at a depth of around 550 metres, where the Turkish naval vessels TCG Işın and TCG Alemdar are working with remotely operated underwater craft. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel met officials in Ankara this week to discuss the next steps in the operation. If you are planning to travel by ferry from Kyrenia, check the sailing directly with the operator before you set off.

The heat over the island held until today — temperatures of up to 39 °C were reported, and with the sea off Kyrenia sitting around 27 °C in September, the swimming season carries on. On the property side, Decree-Law 63/2026 remains the framework; it came into force on 11 May and reshaped how foreigners acquire property, introducing a ten-year right-of-use certificate, licensed intermediaries and a cap of 80 percent of a single project being sold to foreign buyers. The market itself is subdued, with transaction volumes down on previous years. Nothing changes in the air — Ercan is still served only by routes through Turkey, with roughly four hundred flights a week from twelve airports, mostly on Pegasus, AJet and SunExpress. In education, the final preparations for the new school year are under way: the renovated high school in Erenköy, for example, is due to have twelve new classrooms ready by 14 September.