Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı has returned to the subject of the Kyrenia shipwreck in a fresh social media post, saying that "unfortunately, the lawlessness that prevails on land also applies to our seas."
Regulation and oversight
According to reports from the north, Akıncı wrote that natural disasters or disasters caused by human negligence can happen anywhere, but the outcomes differ in places where rules built from years of experience are actually followed. He used earthquakes as an example, noting that they occur in both Turkey and Japan. "But we know how different the consequences are," he wrote. He drew a similar comparison with flooding, saying that in some places floodwaters reach the sea through stream channels, while in others, blocking a riverbed with construction can lead to disaster. "What I mean is that if social life is shaped according to scientific rules, people can have a better chance of living in a safer and healthier environment," he said.
Akıncı noted that in a previous post he had cited the EU as a good example of a place where rules are followed, adding that there are rules that need to be followed in every area of life, from transport to health, from food safety to the environment. He added that even where rules exist, accidents can still happen, but following them reduces the likelihood, and even when accidents do occur, the consequences are at least less severe. From what has been reported so far, he said, it is understood that the vessel was not fit for the route it was operating.
"Unfortunately, we have seen that the lawlessness prevailing on our land also applies to our seas," Akıncı wrote. "By lawlessness, I mean not only the lack of adequate regulation in certain areas, but also non-compliance with existing rules, inadequate oversight, and a mentality in which perpetrators get away with it." He concluded that he believes this is the core problem.
Source: CNA
