TRNC Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Resigns Before Dismissal Decision

Enver Öztürk, permanent secretary of the TRNC Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said that he left his post voluntarily: he submitted his written resignation at 16:30 on 4 September, several hours before the decision to dismiss him was published in the Official Gazette.

The decision was issued on the evening of 4 September and came into force on 5 September. In addition to Öztürk, the ministry’s director, Mustafa Ambar, and the head of the Ports Department, Emsal Emirzadeogullari, were also removed from their posts. Murat Saler was appointed the new permanent secretary as of 5 September. The documents were signed by Finance Minister and Acting Minister of Public Works and Transport Özdemir Berova, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and President Tufan Erhürman. Earlier, Minister Erhan Arıklı had also lost his post.

According to Öztürk, at around 16:00 on 4 September he contacted the prime minister and said that he was resigning for reasons of political ethics and courtesy, and half an hour later submitted a written statement to the prime minister’s office. It said: “At my own discretion, I have decided to resign from the position of permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.”

“Resignation is a virtue,” Öztürk said. He noted that reports had appeared the previous evening and that day saying that he had been “removed from office”: “I do not know whether this matters against the background of the pain we have experienced, but sharing the truth and writing the truth should also be a virtue.”

The personnel decisions were made following the crash of the Filo Jet vessel off Kyrenia. Öztürk said that immediately after the accident he went to Kyrenia port and spent the following three days at the port and crisis headquarters. He expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and added: “Those who are guilty and acted negligently must stand trial, but there must be no punishment without a trial.”