North’s cultural centre may be given to Turkish embassy
Source: Cyprus Mail
Control of northern Nicosia’s Ataturk cultural centre may be handed over to the Turkish embassy, Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci said on Tuesday.
Speaking to television channel Kanal Sim, he said he had “heard rumours” that a new cultural centre would be built on the ‘government’ complex in Ayios Dhometios, and that the current building, located just outside Nicosia’s old town, would be given to the Turkish embassy, which is located next to it.
“The Ataturk cultural centre is closing. What I have heard is that it will be transferred to the embassy. The national library will also be moved to an area within the park,” he said, in reference to the large park being built on the eastern side of the road to the crossing point.
Of the park, he added that “no official information” had been given to him regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the park once it is opened.
“The park will be managed by a private company for the first year, but no statement has been made about the following years,” he said, before asking whether the north’s ‘parliament’ or Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s office have been given the authority to maintain the park.
He then added that he had brought the issue up to then-Turkish ambassador Yasin Ekrem Serim in February.
“He told me, ‘You can now hold your activities and federation rallies with the Greek Cypriots here’,” Harmanci said.
Serim was sacked by the Turkish government on February 28 and replaced with Ali Murat Basceri.
The original article: belongs to Cyprus Mail .
