Finance Minister Sunat Atun has said that the 2022 Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol signed with Türkiye will provide the means to overcome the current economic crisis.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Atun said that the government’s goal was to raise the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ level of prosperity.

He criticized those who tried to vilify the protocol.

“Those who are trying to prevent the implementation of this protocol and use it to bad mouth Türkiye are only harming the Turkish Cypriot people,” Atun said.

He expressed the belief that the Turkish Cypriot people will succeed in creating an economy that can stand on its own feet.

“The way to do this is to cooperate with Türkiye, by working hard and producing and to achieve efficiency in the public sector,” he added.

Atun reminded that dozens of agreements have been signed with Türkiye over the years whether it be for financial assistance, infrastructure, security or the protection of the TRNC’s rights in the region, all of which had benefited the Turkish Cypriot people.