Tag cafer gürcafer

GÜRCAFER: THE AGREED AND THE IMPLEMENTED REGULATION ARE NOT THE SAME

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), noted that the ” Regulation (Amendment) for the Principles and Procedures to be Applied in Construction Works Tenders” cannot meet the need in its current form.

Emphasizing that the agreed regulation and the implemented one are not the same, Gürcafer said that the system still has the blocks in front of it.

Gürcafer stated that the morale of the contractors is low and they feel negative with respect to participating in the tenders; “This is a regulation and a regulation can be changed by a decision of the Council of Ministers. Therefore, they can correct this error in 1-2 days.”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer, speaking on Gündem Kıbrıs Web TV, said, “The implementation of the price difference application was an issue that we have been bringing up for a long time and that we once took action for. Insomuch, our contractors suffered a lot from this. This is the reason for many of our contractors having gone bankrupt over many years.

The government signs a contract with you in Turkish Lira (TL) and for reasons not caused by you, the TL is constantly losing value against foreign currencies. Your input costs and expenses are in a foreign currency, but what you receive is in TL. In other words, what you get versus what you spend is constantly melting away. While your profit is 10%, your loss is 85%. For this reason, many of our contractor companies went bankrupt.”

Stating that the contractor’s voice has not been heard on this issue for years, Gürcafer said that this was ended during the current government and that Prime Minister Ünal Üstel gave the necessary instructions for the implementation of the price difference application, and that the Minister of Public Works and Transport contributed significantly to this issue.

Gürcafer saying that in the process the practice in Turkey was taken as an example, added that, “I cannot afford to lose 70-80 percent in a TL-based business where my profit is 5 percent or at most 10 percent.”

Cafer Gürcafer said: “This issue was discussed and a solution was found, and the Prime Minister gave us the good news about it. You participated in the tender, you signed your contract. An advance of 30 percent will be given in exchange for the letter of guarantee. If the rise in foreign currency goes above 13 percent after you start the job, you will be paid the difference. That was what we knew, that was how the agreement was, but unfortunately we discovered that the regulation which got passed by the Council of Ministers was not like that.

In this regard, Burak Bey, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, apparently developed a formula of his own. He claimed to have spoken to us, but neither with our administration, nor with our technical staff, nor in the meetings held with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, nor at the Prime Ministry, such a thing was ever discussed.”

“WE ARE QUIBBLING LIKE A TRADER WITH WORDS”

Gürcafer, commenting on the ‘Principles and Procedures (Amendment) Regulation to be Applied in Construction Works Tenders’, “For example, let’s say that there is a 16 percent rise in value of foreign currency for the first progress payment, it will be reduced by 13 percent, a difference of 3 percent will be given to you, but if there is a 25 percent increase in the second progress payment from the date you signed the tender, that will be ignored it and the exchange rate on the first progress payment date will be used and the second progress payment will be made at the exchange rate as per the first progress payment”.

Stating that we are quibbling like a trader with words, CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said, “You are the State, I am an individual of this State. I am a sector, an institution, an organization that pays taxes to the State and contributes billions of liras to the State due to its commercial activities. In fact, all of these constitute the State, society, people and the TRNC. Therefore, he said, the authorities claim; ‘This is the extent of our strength, ’then you won’t be doing 20 jobs. You will do a few, but you will do it right.”

“THE RISK WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE LIFE MISERABLE FOR US, WE NEED TO TAKE MEASURES ASAP”

Cafer Gürcafer said, ‘’Considering the statements made by international financial institutions, and when global economic developments are evaluated, the fluctuation of the foreign currency values will not stop, and disaster scenarios are drawn for November in this regard.

Continuing his speech, Gürcafer said, “This risk will continue to make life miserable for us”, and added, “Therefore, we need to take precautions as soon as possible. Because unless measures are taken, we will not be able to do business, and when we cannot do business, the needs of the state and therefore the people cannot be met.”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said, “For example, the renovation of schools, the repair of the main hospital, roads, pavements, et cetera, such needs are not being met. We say, ‘Do not give us any kickback, do not give us any profit either. If you want, you buy the material, we will in turn only do it for the cost.’ We do not concern ourselves with making profit from the state. We are actually trying to fulfil a responsibility. But if this is tried to be put on our backs, we cannot do it, we do not have such resilience”, he said.

Emphasizing the lack of a system, Gürcafer said, “UNDP is issuing tenders, our contractors are participating in these tenders, the opportunities they offer us are 2-3 times more than the opportunities offered by our state, and it should be vice versa. We have to place this business within a system,” he said, warning that “we are very late on this issue”.

Cafer Gürcafer continued his speech as follows: “There is a Girne Hospital tender that has turned into an unresolved mess. We have to publish an addendum and say that the price difference application will be applied in the tender of the hospital. Because the hospital is a tender issued in TL and it is very risky. If foreign currency values explode in November or December, the person who will win that tender will sink so badly that it will take two generations to be able to raise it back up again.

Just like the new prison project, or as the village roads tender won by Taşyapı now, or just as the Siyah Kalem Company, which came to build the football field, will sink. In other words, this is a system that is used all over the world. Why is this persistently not deemed worthy of our contractor?”

“STOP THE LIE ABOUT ‘TURKEY DOESN’T WANT IT'”

Cafer Gürcafer also emphasized that the subject is open to abuse. Gürcafer, “’Turkey does not want it’.! There is no such thing.! Stop this lie.! It is an issue that our officials did not deal with and insisted on ignoring pointlessly. If we cannot solve this issue in a few days, it will negatively affect all tenders in the upcoming period.”

“EVEN A TORTOISE IS FASTER THAN US IN PUBLIC TENDERS”

The situation in public tenders; CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer, summarizing with his statement, “Even a tortoise is faster than us” said: “We; to the contractors, we do not say ‘don’t’, we do not say ‘it is forbidden to participate in tenders’, but they cannot, they cannot take this risk, it is not possible. To summarize the situation in public tenders; even a tortoise is faster than us.

The Central Tender Commission (MIK) is in another place, the Planning and Construction Department is in another world, the Highways Department is in another place, the officials of the Ministry of Finance are yet in another place, we are in somewhere else. We are disconnected from each other. What is needed is to gather around a round table, come to a decision, and implement that decision. We have not participated in public tenders, for perhaps, more than a year. However, this is an issue that can be resolved in 24 hours. Nothing was comprehended; Mr. Prime Minister last said, “Come here tomorrow afternoon at this time”, we attended and Mr. Prime Minister chaired that meeting, we reached an agreement there. But another regulation has passed.”

“WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE SHELVED”

He said that it is stated as ‘local resources will be given to local tenders’ in the ‘Principles and Procedures (Amendment) Regulation to be Applied in Construction Works Tenders’, but that 95 percent of the tenders are already sourced from the Turkish Republic.

“What sort of an approach is this.!? What are we trying to prove in front of the public?” Gürcafer said, “This is a problem and we need to solve it and move on. This is not an issue that can be shelved. This is our responsibility to the public.’’

‘’The Manager of BRTK, Meryem Özkurt, called me the other day and said, ‘The roof is leaking, the devices are being damaged, many tenders have been issued, no one bids. Please help us,’. The contractor will not do it. Who does work at a loss? ‘I will give you 3 TL, you find 10 TL and go do it for 13 TL.!’ What kind of an approach is this and what kind of an expectation? The state should be a guide, a contributor and create incentive.”

“WE ARE LOSSING TIME”

Stating that every lost day causes great damage, CTBCA President Gürcafer said: “Alsancak road is currently out on tender. Tar is the most important raw material in road construction. TÜPRAŞ has a price, which is indexed to foreign currency. It is also indexed to the price of a barrel of oil. You won this tender, then the dollar increases by 30 percent, how will it be done? Another important input is fuel. What will happen to me when there is a hike in the cost of fuel tomorrow? I will have to leave the job halfway. Turkey solved this problem. She says, ‘If there is a rise, I will pay, you go do your job’.’’

‘’Unfortunately, the TRNC is very hesitant about this issue. Frankly, I am very upset about this, because it is a waste of time and we feel like we are wasting our energy. We have more than 10 works that we have undertaken.’’

‘’CTBCA took responsibility for the construction of the elderly care home in Lapta. It has a cost of close to 20 million and we are funding it out of our pocket, supported entirely with donations. We are working on zoning plans. We have ongoing work on the law. We are working on border gates. There are articles in the construction regulations that allow for the blatant abuse of the rights of others, eliminate equality of opportunity among contractors, and create inequity and injustice. We tried, but it is cast aside. There are hundreds of other problems, but if we could not conclude the work on a price difference application for more than a year, how will we solve the problems of this country, how will the country breathe easy again?’’

‘’At this rate, we cannot overcome these issues. We need to hold a workshop about saving the future of this country with the participation of the appropriate human resources that we have in this country. But not just to say ‘we held a workshop’, it is necessary to respect the final declaration of this workshop and start from somewhere.”

“WE HAVE MANY TINY FIEFDOMS”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer once again underlined that the rulers and cadres of the country should agree on how the country would be saved, what the priorities are, and that they should work overtime at this juncture.

Stating that we are in a constant state of confusion and chaos, Gürcafer said: “The Government, the ministers and the staff under them, the bureaucrats… this needs to be remoulded in a vision, and the perspective needs to be altered. If there are 20 undersecretaries in the State, 10 ministers, 1 prime minister, and 40 general managers under them, this team should have the same perspective on how this country would be saved and what the priorities ought to be. We have many tiny fiefdoms. Everyone is more concerned about exhibiting a self-serving behaviour.’’

We are constantly bubbling in a mess, in a chaos. We have a wealth of human resources in this country. Unfortunately, our entrenched system constantly prevents us from utilising these human resources correctly. This entrenched culture prevents it. This reality drags us to the bottom even more.”

“FORMATION OF THE ENERGY UNIT IS A MUST”

Mentioning the necessity of establishing an Energy Supreme Board in the country, Gürcafer said, “What we need to do to move forward is clear. We need an Energy Supreme Board supported by scientists.”

While the world is competing in an incredible race in every topic, Cafer Gürcafer said that the TRNC is far behind this respect and concluded his words as follows:

“I can now compete with Turkey, Greece and Belgium in the construction sector, but in order for me to compete with them, I must be at a point where I can meet some contemporary needs. For example, I can’t build smart homes right now because the law prevents me. For this, an energy unit must be formed.

We need an energy unit supported by scientists. That’s what the business world says. Let’s set up the Energy Supreme Board, determine the country’s energy policies and develop the country’s energy policies. But we are not doing anything. Ministers, the honourable Prime Minister are all very well-intentioned. But goodwill alone does not get us anywhere. It is necessary to be honest and well-intentioned, but we need the unit, the planning, the right economic and social policies. We need to determine the current situation; to determine what we will do to step up gradually. We are the people of this country and I have the potential to create job opportunities for all my companies. However, time is running out. Our people are at the point of making a decision. They are leaving the country.”

CTBCA 17th Ordinary General Assembly; Gürcafer is re-elected as president

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer June 14th, 2022 @ 9:16 am

The 17th Ordinary General Assembly of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA) was held. Cafer Gürcafer was re-elected as the President.

Members of the Board of Directors, the Supervisory Board and the Honorary Board were also determined at the General Assembly. Cafer Gürcafer, who was the only candidate for the Presidency, was re-elected unanimously.

At 10:00 on Saturday, May 21, at the Atatürk Cultural Center Great Conference Hall, the 17th Ordinary General Assembly of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association was held in accordance with the corona virus measures. Yıldız Gövsa was elected as the Chairman of the Assembly Council with Derviş Ata Tahiroğlu and Fuat Kutlu being elected as the Clerks of the Assembly Council.

GÜRCAFER: A COUNTRY CANNOT LIVE ON TALK ALONE

In his speech at the General Assembly Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), drew attention to the rhetoric on “TRNC will live forever”.

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said, “A country, a society cannot exist by shouting slogans that ‘it will live forever’. A country acquires a local national stock in a planned manner. The development created by this national stock contributes to employment. That employment contributes to the production and development of social life, and that’s when you can get out and proudly say, ‘it will live forever’. Without these, TRNC surviving forever would be a claim made only on a signpost,” he said.

Gürcafer, “As an interested economic organization, we are ready to do our part to ensure that our country, our people, our social existence and our state live forever. Let no one misconstrue us! We will do what we have to do in this regard during the times ahead. No one should doubt that we will undertake the action we have to take,” he said.

“WE WILL FOLLOW THE UPCOMING PROCESS VERY CLOSELY”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer noted that we are undergoing a period of developments that closely concern our social existence, and stated that these developments also concern the construction sector, which is the country’s largest economic sector.

Gürcafer said that as of Monday, CTBCA will start holding regional meetings in Girne, Nicosia and Famagusta with wide participation and will closely monitor the upcoming process.

Cafer Gürcafer said, “I can assure you that in the coming period, in order to exist, we will have to undergo a very active period, during which we huddle up and tighten our ranks; for our bread, for us to create a developing economy in our own country.”

He reminded that the previous General Assembly meeting of the CTBCA was held with wide participation and almost all of the prominent members of the protocol attended, and that all the politicians delivered messages from the rostrum that day. However, Gürcafer noted that the problems have grown over the past two years and said, “No solutions for our problems or for saving the future of our children were provided by the parliament, the legislature and the executive, from all of whom we expected a solution. On the contrary, the problems they created have grown even worse.”

“A COUNTRY CANNOT LIVE ON JUST TALK ALONE”

Drawing attention to the rhetoric that “TRNC will live forever”, CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said, “A country, a society; it cannot survive by meerly shouting slogans that it will live forever. A country; builds its national stock in a planned manner. Development created by this national stock contributes to employment. That employment contributes to the production and development of social life, and that is when you get out and proudly say; ‘it will live forever’. Without these, TRNC surviving forever would be a claim made only on a signpost,” he said.

GÜRCAFER VOTED AS THE PRESIDENT UNANIMOUSLY

After the President Cafer Gürcafer’s speech, the presentation and discussion of the Annual Report and the presentation and discussion of the Financial Report ensued. Subsequen to that, the President, the Board of Directors, the Supervisory Board and the Honorary Board were elected.

Cafer Gürcafer, the only candidate for the Presidency, was unanimously re-elected, and as a result of the 17th Ordinary General Assembly elections of the CTBCA, the organs of the Association were determined as follows.

President:

Cafer Gürcafer

Board of Directors:

Burçin Döveç

Ceyhun Tunalı

Erdim Oras (Vice-President)

Erdoğan Bekiroğlu

Erim Kanlıada

Serkan Amca

Taşkın Ürel

Yağmur Özyalçın

Honorary Board:

Cahit Kaya

Mehmet Kahveci

Musa Türker Sönmezler

Taner Yolcu

Yakup Engin Tel

Supervisory Board:

Ahmet Arabacıoğlu

Okan Recaioğlu

Gürcafer: To search for a way out through the minimum wage indexatıon is not the right approach

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer January 13th, 2022 @ 8:50 am

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), said that the economic situation we are in is not a situation that pleases neither the employer nor the worker, and added that attempting to reconcile the economic problems with minimum wage rates or to search for a way out through the minimum wage indexation is not the right approach.

He stated that keeping this issue on the public discourse and fuelling a labour-capital conflict would not serve anyone other than those who feed off from polarization in the society.

Pointing out that it is not possible for a family with one or two children to sustain their household with these figures in a period when the purchasing power has crushed, Gürcafer also noted that it will be very difficult, especially for small businesses, which struggle to exist in the economic chaos caused by an unplanned business environment, to pay minimum wage that has been determined.

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer continued his words as follows: “We must understand that we cannot fix the economy by lowering or raising the minimum wage. The way to fix this is to enlarge the economy with plans that will be prepared with the aim of forming an economic structure that can stand on its own feet, with a participatory spirit by all Cypriot people, from workers to employers, from academics to students, to shopkeepers. Of course, political stability to lead it is a must. Unless we do this, we will continue to watch the polarization of our society during every period when the minimum wage is being set.”

“Our mıssıon ıs to carry forward the secular, democratıc and contemporary order ınto the future”

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer November 12th, 2021 @ 8:29 am

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), in a message he published on the occasion of the 83rd anniversary of the death of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, underlined that it is everyone’s mission to carry forward the secular, democratic and contemporary order, which is Atatürk’s legacy, into the future.

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer released a message on the 83rd anniversary of the death of the Founder of the Turkish Republic, Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Stating that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is an exemplary leader respected by the world for both his ideas and actions, Gürcafer emphasized that it is everyone’s mission to carry forward the secular, democratic and contemporary order, which is Atatürk’s legacy, into the future.

Stating that the Turkish Cypriots will never forget the Great Leader Atatürk, Gürcafer said, “I commemorate the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with respect and compassion on the 83rd anniversary of his death.”

‘’After the election we will enforce the formation of a reform government’’

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer November 3rd, 2021 @ 8:47 am

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), stated that the UBP-DP-YDP minority government left a wreckage and that they will enforce the formation of a reform government after the election.

Stating that they will undertake serious work in order to increase productivity in this country with the new government, Gürcafer said, “Work should be done by evaluating a socio-economic plan for this country, sector by sector.”

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), was a guest of the “Concerning Today” program prepared and presented by Nazar Erişkin on Cyprus Genç TV, and made important statements regarding current topical issues.

“WE NEED A CHANGE OF MINDSET”

CTBC President Cafer Gürcafer stated that the UBP-DP-YDP minority government left a wreckage behind and said, “The important thing is not that the government changes, we need a change of mindset.”

Stating that the economic condition of the country is seriously bad, Gürcafer said:

“From an economic point of view, the country is in a seriously bad state. From time to time, our politicians, prime minister and ministers speak nice words such as “We are getting better, we are developing, we are flying, we will exist forever”, but this is not the reality. There’s a country in ruins. E.g., there are politicians who present routine matters of maintenance such as building a road, putting up a classroom at a school building, as if they were some kind of development. Unfortunately, we also cheer this on too. However, in developed countries, for example, once every 7 years, a road is relayed. These are routine maintenance acts for what is needed. It is not progress. Today, many apartments do not have the money to buy disinfectants. They can’t afford toilet paper. What success are you talking about?

The important thing is not that the government changes, we need a change of mindset. With this way of thinking, this country is doomed to experience these things.”

“THIS GOVERNMENT HAS LEFT A WRECK BEHIND”

Noting that there are deputies in the country who have made a habit of spending an election period phone in hand, attempting to solve problems for individuals, and think this is a virtue, Cafer Gürcafer said, “This is all it takes with them. We need to know this. So long as we choose them, these will occur. ‘We need to create an economy that stands on its own feet’. Ok, how do we create this? By talking on the phone? It is necessary to be able to think, to develop projects, to provision laws, to make regulations, to issue circulars and to labour for this.”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer stated: ‘’This Government has left a wreck behind. Why are we going to Turkey? We go to ask for money, to stay in power or to ask for support in order to win at the party general congress. So, I too went and observed; there is no institutional structure between the TRNC and the Turkish Republic. Turkey does not have a project to raise the TRNC, to create a state that stands on its own feet, or to create such a political structure. There is no science based socio-economic development plan prepared to revive the TRNC economy.

Investments are not crafted according to economic development. They are not within the framework of a specific plan or project. For example, an Organized Industrial Zone is being built in Güvercinlik. So, what will happen inside this organized industrial zone? Roads will be built there, infrastructure will be built, and distributed to someone, well and good. What will happen in it that will provide employment, support the country’s economy, chip in and increase production, increase exports, contribute to per capita national income, and create an economy that stands on its own feet? Is there an exercise conducted for this? None whatsoever. So, why has this decision been taken? It was done so for populism. It is necessary to establish an institutionalised structure between the TR and the TRNC, and to shape the relationship within the framework of a planned project, which should be put forward by the TRNC. Because the people of this country know the needs of this country.”

“WE WILL CHANGE THE MINDSET AS THE PEOPLE”

CTBCA President Gürcafer talked about how Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association, Chamber of Turkish Cypriot Shopkeepers and Artisans, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, North Cyprus Hoteliers Association, Cyprus Turkish Business People Association, Northern Cyprus Young Businessmen Association have prepared many works and programmes for the recovery of the country’s economy, for creating a self-sufficient economy, to increase production, to create employment and raise the per capita national income but he said that not even one of them came to fruition.

Cafer Gürcafer stated, “This is because there is no government structure that cares about this,” and he went on to say, “That’s why this mindset needs to change.”

Gürcafer, speaking as follows, said, “Perhaps 10 percent of the ministers, directors, undersecretaries, the institutions and organizations appointed by them, who are supposed to be tasked with managing this country, are preoccupied with solving these problems. The susceptibility of the other 90 percent is shaped by the party congress, the election, being a candidate/not being a candidate. Unless this mindset changes, we cannot arise. It is the people who will change this mindset, we are the people.’’

“IT IS EMBARRASSING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS UNABLE TO PAY SALARIES’’

Commenting on the statements that the government requested an appointment with the Vice President Fuat Oktay of Turkey due to the “salary crisis”, but how this request was rejected, Cafer Gürcafer said, “Those who put us in this situation should be ashamed.”

Regarding the matter, CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer made the following statements:

“Mr. Fuat Oktay is the Vice President of the Republic of Turkey. The President or the Government gave him a task. ‘You are the minister responsible for Cyprus. Go, raise the economy of the TRNC, etc.’ they said. He couldn’t either. It did not happen. When you look at it from his perspective, there is a failure. Within such a failure, when the end of the month comes, you go and ask money for pay. As a matter of fact, those who put us in this situation should be ashamed. It is embarrassing for us that the government is not be able to pay salaries come the end of the month. This country has the resources to pay its own salaries and to make its own investments. All we need is to assign to the administration of the country such people who care. This change must occur within all parties.”

“THE ASSEMBLY IS EXHAUSTED, REFRESHING THE ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY”

Noting that all segments of the country are uncomfortable with the current order, Cafer Gürcafer expressed that, in this context, he is hopeful for the coming period. Saying that the Assembly should definitely be refreshed, Gürcafer stated that the search for a long-term, reformist government will be a priority in the coming days.

Gürcafer made the following statements in his remark on the subject:

“I am speaking based on my own observations. There is discomfort in all segments and on the basis of what I have said, I think that the value judgment of the voters will be different and a divergent structure will emerge. Carrying on further with the current Assembly without having an election would harm this country. The Assembly is exhausted, it is no longer productive. This Assembly, definitely, needs to be refreshed.

In the coming period, the search for a long-term reform-minded government will be a priority. This gives rise for hope. We, as NGOs, will also contribute to this. In order to increase productivity in this country, we must do earnest work with the new government. All sectors in this country need to be touched.

If we can do this, relations with Turkey will also improve. Otherwise it will get even worse. I am uncomfortable with Turkey’s constant intervention. But I do not think Turkey is happy about it either. If you cut your own socio-economic development plan and also establish a plan about gaining your economic freedom, I don’t think Turkey will come and say to you, ‘You will not implement this plan, you will not gain your own economic freedom’.

“THERE IS A SEARCH FOR CHANGE”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer noted that there is a search for change among many political parties that will focus on a more conciliatory, a more eligible structure to enable economic and political independence as much as possible, and that he attaches great importance to the National Unity Party’s congress in this context.

Gürcafer said: “There are indications of a mindset change. There is a search for an economy that stands on its own feet by those who are disturbed by all that has been lived through. This is a good sign. This is also the case with other political parties. Within many political parties, a search is underway for change with a focus on works that will create more conciliatory and eligible structure that could gain economic and political freedom as much as possible. As a people, we need to support this.

If we do these things, for the next term of the government, I believe that we can create a different Assembly with a more sensitive, realistic format that is more willing to act together, is collaborative, and that is more anxious about the awareness of the public.’’

Gürcafer observed the 19th of May Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), cafer gürcafer, cafer, kıbrıs türk inşaat müteahhitleri birliği, KTİM May 25th, 2021 @ 9:04 am

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), celebrated the 19^th of May Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

In his message released on the occasion of May 19^th, Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, Gürcafer stated that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk bestowed on the youth the most important day of the national struggle, May 19^th, 1919, “Our greatest wish is; that our youth make our nation proud in areas such as politics, education, culture, arts and sports and advance the Republic, which is entrusted to them by Atatürk, to higher levels.’’

On the 102nd anniversary of the arrival of the Great Leader Atatürk in Samsun, when the torch of independence was lit, CTBCA President Gürcafer remembered with respect Atatürk, who brought independence and democracy to the people of Turkey, and observed the May 19^th Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day of the youth.

CTBCA officials visited Canaltay

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in Uncategorized Tagged with cafer gürcafer, ktimb, Resmiye Canaltay April 7th, 2021 @ 1:34 pm

Cyprus Turkish Construction Building Contractors Association (CTBCA) President Cafer Gürcafer, Vice President Erdim Oras, CTBCA Board Member (Secretary) Yağmur Özyalçın (Active Member) Burçin Döveç paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Resmiye Canaltay.

During the visit; an exchange of views took place on the development of the construction sector, the training of intermediate staff in the sector, and the amendment of the Rules and Procedures Applied in Construction Works Tenders (No 18/1998), and the Building Contractors Association and Council Laws (No 19/1998) were discussed. An agreement was reached on the point about the need to schedule and implement the projects that ought to be carried out by the Cyprus Turkish Construction Contractors Association (KTİMB) and the Building Council.

During the meeting, which took place in a positive atmosphere, it was agreed that they should get back together as soon as possible.

Gürcafer: The only thing we want is the equality of opportunity

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with gürcafer, cafer gürcafer, ktimb, kıbrıs türk inşaat müteahhitleri birliği April 5th, 2021 @ 1:20 pm

Cafer Gürcafer demanded the cancellation of the tender for building a hospital in Kyrenia: “We will not stop pursuing this issue!”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer, demanded the cancellation of the tender for building a hospital in Kyrenia. Gürcafer, expressing that the tender should be re-issued after the regulations have been corrected, said, “We cannot afford to have 15m TL or 10m TL just placed into somebody’s pocket! We will not stop pursuing this issue.!’’

Cyprus Turkish Building Contractor Association (CTBCA) President Cafer Gürcafer attended by phone the programme called ‘’The Morning Post’’ which is broadcasted at Cyprus Mail TV, prepared and hosted by Gökhan Altıner.

While 15 of the 17 companies participating in the hospital tender planned to be built in Kyrenia were eliminated, and that the remaining 2 were claimed to be in an ‘alliance’, Gürcafer made a statement emphasizing the need to make corrections to the regulation, which is currently at the Ministry and ready to be implemented.

“Cancel the tender and re-issue it”

Gürcafer said, “This error should be reverted immediately” and explained, “There will be no variation to the beginning phase or the conclusion phase of the hospital. Let them fix the regulation with a two-hour operation. They should cancel the tender and re-issue it.”

Drawing attention to the fact that, in the country, such things have begun to occur during the last 5-6 years, CTBCA President Gürcafer stated that to the extend of preventing such circumstances, the regulations will have to be re-drawn and implemented.

“There will be a serious economic bill for this”

Criticizing the fact that 15 of the 17 companies were disqualified, Gürcafer said, “If the state does not correct this mistake, there will be a serious economic bill. If you calculate a 25 percent discount on a job worth 60m TL, it corresponds to 115m TL. I do not want to blame anyone… There is certain misinformation, I know. We will not stop pursuing this issue. The only thing we want is the equality of opportunity.’’

“We do not have a circumstance where we would let anyone pocket anything!”

Expressing that many contractors were wounded during the pandemic, Cafer Gürcafer, declared his reaction to this tender process and said, “While we are going through such times, we do not have the circumstance to let anyone pocket 15m TL or 10m TL or 1m TL! Here is an opportunity. We are in a phase where we need to use our resources well. This need to be fixed…”

Gürcafer: The Protocol is an ointment but it is not enough to heal our wounds

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer March 29th, 2021 @ 12:20 pm

Cafer Gürcafer, the President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), stated that the 2021 Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol is not enough to heal the wounds in the country’s economy and warned “let’s not get complacent”.

CTBCA President Gürcafer said, “I think the protocol will contribute to the economy. But to think; ‘The protocol was signed, the money will arrive and all our worries and troubles will be over, the economy will become rosy again…!’ There is no such thing. Let’s not make that mistake. The 300-500 million TL that will arrive from there is an ointment, it is useful, it is curative, it is helpful, but it is not enough to heal our wounds.”

Gürcafer evaluated the 2021 Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol as a guest of the “Pulse of Cyprus” programme, broadcast in Ses Cyprus, and answered Aytuğ Tükkan’s questions on topical issues.

“Turkey now; is very much resolved to no longer pour money down a bottomless pit”

CTBCA Cafer Gürcafer said that, in their meeting which took place in Ankara, attended as the Economic Organizations Platform (EOP), he was left with the distinct impression of Turkey’s determination not to continue pouring money down a bottomless pit.

Gürcafer stated that the sums in the protocol are sums that will directly go to the market and contribute to the economy, and that they are not sums that could be used to cover the budget deficit or to meet public expenditure.

Cafer Gürcafer, said: ‘’As far as I see, due to the contacts we made in Ankara as the EOP, it appears that Turkey now; is very much resolved to no longer pour money down a bottomless pit. It says, ‘The help we will offer should somehow turn into added value and it should be about very accurate projects. In other words, it should directly contribute to the welfare of the society, the development of the economy and social life’. Therefore, within the content of the protocol, there is a contribution that is said to be provided to the real economic sector as well as a decision relating to the establishment of organized industrial zones. All of these relate to investments to be made in infrastructure. They are the sums that will directly go to the market and contribute to the economy. It is not a sum to be grabbed and be used to cover the budget deficit or to meet public expenditure.’’

“Must not get complacent”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer stated that the protocol will contribute to the economy and warned, ‘’But to think; ‘The protocol was signed, the money will arrive and all our worries and troubles will be over, the economy will become rosy again…! There is no such thing ‘. Let us not make that mistake.’’

Gürcafer said, “This is to breathe a little, this is a shot in the arm to the market. Critically, using this 3.5 billion TL through methods based on the result of a scientific study in order to contribute to the economy is very important, but it will not work if it is used for consumption purposes”

Gürcafer noted that during EOP’s meetings in Turkey, one of the subjects insisted on was the economic development plan.

Gürcafer drew attention to the fact that there is no development plan for the TRNC, and stated that with each different government, every time power has changed, with every change of minister in Turkey, a new and different vision emerges and associated to these changes, different economic policies are put forth.

Stating that this is wrong, Cafer Gürcafer argued that long-term development plans should be made in the TRNC and these plans should be based on scientific studies, and this should be done by the Turkish Cypriots.

Gürcaf said, “We need to do this with the contribution from Turkey and Turkey’s aid must be in keeping with these plans. Otherwise, the contribution will be palliative, like a gift. It is not a sustainable contribution that boosts the economy and increases per capita national income. I raised this in Turkey. I specifically said this.”

“Master Plans are an important component of the Development Plan”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said that the master plans are an important part of the development plan, but there is no resource allocated for development master plans in any protocol signed from the past to the present. Stating that they had brought this subject to the Republic of Turkey Vice President, Fuat Oktay’s attention, Gürcafer added that Oktay thought they were right in this respect.

Noting that a strong team and serious means of equipment are needed for the development of master plans, Gürcafer said, “This work cannot be done with 3-5 personnel. If you wait for such a team to complete the planning of the whole country in a shed with limited opportunities, you would be waiting for a while. This job requires team work. You create a team of 60 people and this team includes economists, sociologists, social scientists, and these people are chosen from our people. You also provide the equipment, put a budget of 3-5 million TL, and from the beginning to the end of 2021 you develop the master plans for the whole country from Yeşilırmak to Dipkarpaz. The country already has a National Physical Plan anyway.

Cafer Gürcafer made the following statements and continued his speech; TR-TRNC relations are much more serious now. Even if the TRNC is not recognized in the Eastern Mediterranean, its economy still needs to be raised. Taiwan is not recognized, but it has business relations with the whole world. Therefore, there is a serious eagerness to achieve this in the TRNC, but this is a quest and we will not get the right result if this quest is not planned correctly. Even where our business relations will be is still unclear. Partnerships will be established, okay, but how will these be? Which issues will they entail? All these are the details of that economic development plan. We start at the end. In other words, it would not be ‘let it appear in the shop window first and we will fill behind it later’. We need to work on the details and do this without too much delay.

“It is imperative that we debate the productivity in the system”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer noted that NGOs should take joint steps to eliminate structural defects in the country.

Saying that “the point we have reached is not sustainable”, Gürcafer added, “We have structural defects. How did it come to be like this? Where did it emerge and where did it come from? Over time, it compounded and turned into a complete wreckage. People currently in politics are not responsible for this. As a result of the mistakes made by the politicians of yesteryears, their negligence, their missteps as they did not foresee things correctly, this country has come to this. We are sunk, we have to come up somehow. As NGOs, we need to make a move in this regard in order to eliminate our structural defects. We are doing it by engaging in policy.”

Gürcafer said, “What do I care about the Election Law or the law on political parties? The reason I am interested is because it has a stake in the collapse of the whole system. In order to fix the system, I need to fix that as well. The political sector is the sector that runs the country and, in my opinion, it should exploit the best human resources available. Therefore, it means that there is a malfunction in the system that prevents the proper management of this country. You could send 5-10 good people and very valuable people to the parliament, but any one of them will look around and end up feeling dumb. He will say ‘Friends, sorry, this is not for me’ and will run off after 5 years without doing anything. This should not happen. We need to send our most precious ones to the parliament and discuss the efficiency of the system.”

“My politician is not doing what should be done”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer also made important statements about the tenders’ affair. Gürcafer said, “This affair has two parts; one of which is that there were such debates in the 90’s when Ecevit ruled. Then it was said to us, ‘You are not sufficient in terms of vehicle and storage parks. We’ll offer you little roads. Let us offer you interlock roads between villages and roads for villages. You gradually improve yourself with these jobs. After you improve yourself, let’s have great roads to be tendered out from here.’ Of course, this was written on ice. With the departure of the politicians of that day, it was gone.”

Looking at today’s picture, Gürcafer noted that while there were 3 makeshift asphalt factories in the country at that time, today there were 13 asphalt factories and a machine fleet worth over 100 million dollars.

Cafer Gürcafer said: “Today, while there is so much hardship in Turkey, it wanted to arrive here with such good tidings as ‘we are building all your roads’ and expected to be met with appreciation from their perspective, and then of course it encountered our response. Because my politician is not doing what he has to do. He does not go and explain what this means for our people, to our economy. Instead, he says, ‘it is true sir, you do it, you are right.’ Consequently, this created serious issues for us.”

He explained the second part on the tenders’ affair as follows:

“We have developed the infrastructure and we are capable of doing these jobs. Furthermore, we are not asking for too much money. This is also an ugly ascription. I’m very sorry, that this is also being spoken by my politicians. When it is claimed that ‘Contractors in Cyprus are expensive. Contractors will do it much more cheaply in Turkey’; when my politician heard this, he did investigate and if found true, did not ask where does it spring from, and feel the need to discover. It is being spoken like this for over 20 years. Hence, we explained that this is not true, line by line. Why is it not true? Because the price difference between purchasing the fuel used in the production of 1 ton of asphalt without funding and purchasing it with funding is 35 TL. The difference for Tar is at 160 TL vs. 200 TL per ton. We wrote them down on a list and spoke about it. Secondly, we explained properly what is necessary in order for the TRNC economy to become self-sufficient, what it means for our political interests that this scene emergences, therefore, what the utility of the construction sector is at this point, how many thousands of us earn our crust from this sector, the need for the existence of such sectors for the Cypriots to exist here. We were very happy to have understood each other too. So, this was not being done.’’

“We have come to terms”

Touching on his contact with the Republic of Turkey General Directorate of Highways, Gürcafer said, “We have consensus, we have come to terms, we have demonstrated a common mind; and the right thing to do is to start as partners so that both a contribution to economy would be made and our contractors would gain experience. We agreed on the point that, ‘in time, when you will reach the stage that you can build these first-class roads, and when you get to that point, the Cypriots will completely do it’. Therefore, all tenders that will be released in Ankara from now on will be made on this basis, within this principle”

Gürcafer drew attention to the announcements made by the Vice President of the Turkish Republic, Fuat Oktay, about Cyprus, and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport regarding the construction of roads, and noted how, at the latest, the result of this will be seen within 1-2 months.

Continuing his statement, Gürcafer said: “We have reports from the Construction Sub-Committee. What we are saying is that the specification, for example, when a 150 km road tender comes out in Turkey, states; ‘Contractors who will participate in this tender must have completed at least 100 km as a single project.’ There is no such thing with that scale in our country. Therefore, by adapting things to the scale of our own country, for example; a well-experienced contractor needs to have built a 15 km road to say ‘I am a road building contractor’ for Cyprus conditions. We will adapt accordingly. 10-15 contractor companies with a first-class report card, storage park, and bank reference letter are designated. Competency qualification gets issued by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. It will not matter which one of those would get awarded. This is their business. The important thing for us is to achieve this, to bring the business to that point.

In the contracting sector, the profit margin in these tenders is at maximum 10 percent. This means that; the remaining figure, that is the 85 percent, goes to the 60-70 sub-sector that is in this sector. This means providing bread to thousands of people. This is a very important and critical value for our economy.”

“With respect to our country’s economy, 2021 is very important”

Upon Türkkan’s question, CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer, also made a statement regarding his meeting with Prime Minister Ersan Saner, “We had spoken with the Honourable Prime Minister before we left. He called us in as soon as we returned. We talked about a few troubling issues as well as what we should do in general. I’m optimistic but also a little worried. My concern is that the train is leaving, 2021 should not be lost. With respect to our country’s economy, 2021 is very important. That’s why we, as economic organizations, called out ‘vaccine’. Now a plan and a program are being developed all over the world. We also need to develop a plan and a program. There is nothing we are doing about the vaccine, vaccination, or shaping the economy in a way so it could live with pandemic as long as it would take. We have to do these.”

Gürcafer, stating that with the emergence of the vaccine, the light now appears at the end of the tunnel, went on to say, “…there is some optimism in me at this point. In fact, I would like this experience to be appraised as an opportunity to correct our structural defects. We can turn these encounters into an opportunity. It is necessary to know the fine line between doom mongering and criticizing something. We cannot go anywhere just by criticizing. It is necessary to be constructive too.’’

Gürcafer: We are determined. We will prepare both the Interest and the Dept Restructuring laws

0 comments By Filiz Seyis Filed in NEWS Tagged with cafer gürcafer, kıbrıs türk inşaat müteahhitleri birliği, gürcafer March 17th, 2021 @ 10:15 am

Cafer Gürcafer, the President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA), evaluated the effects of the pandemic on the economy as a guest of the “Independent News with Pınar Barut” programme published in Özgür Gazete, and made statements regarding the content of the joint declaration released yesterday by 15 organizations.

Stating that the pandemic caused a serious economic loss all over the world, CTBCA President Gürcafer said that with the discovery of the vaccine, many countries began their work to revive their economies.

Noting that developed countries have established a model where health and economy will run in parallel, Cafer Gürcafer stated that the TRNC should also take its share from the emerging economic pie.

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said, “There are billions of people who have suffered serious trauma caused by the pandemic. Needless to say, after this trauma, tourism will have increased activity. Everyone’s goal; It is to take a share from the emerging economic pie at this point. In our country, we have not seen any plans, programs or activity in this regard,” he said.

Drawing attention to the significance of the steps to be taken by the state in this regard, Gürcafer noted that the ‘free market economy mends itself’ approach would mean the bankruptcy of all businesses and stated that such an approach is absolutely unacceptable.

Cafer Gürcafer said, “This is like being at a state of war. In many countries, while the state is scrambling together with their society in order to not lose this war, there has not been any activity or a program that will bring the economy back to life in the TRNC, and it does appear as though it will be done. Once we began to observe the signals for this, as NGOs, we issued a joint statement with a warning.”

“We will do the work on the interest and the dept restructuring laws”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer asserted, primarily the state but also all the institutions and organizations under it were damaged by the pandemic and the banking sector will suffer its share from it as well.

Gürcafer stated that in order to enable hundreds of businesses which motor the country’s economy to survive this war, there is a need for an Interest Law and a Dept Restructuring Law in order to restructure their debts to the state and to the banks.

Arguing that, “There is a need for legal regulation that will save these businesses, spread their debts over payable terms and provide affordable interest rates,” Gürcafer said, “We are absolutely determined. We will prepare the laws on interest and dept restructuring and share it with both the government and the opposition, but we will not display a selfish approach in doing so. We will do the relevant studies on law with a view to not harm the banking sector, and use the correct examples from around the world.”

“Our reaction will be harsh if we are ignored”

President Cafer Gürcafer declared that they will not hesitate to show the harshest reaction if their demands are not met.

Gürcafer said, “At the end of the day, we do not want to get to a point where ‘life has returned to normal, everybody fends for themselves’. Yes. We cannot get anywhere by just criticizing and squabbling. One has to be constructive too. But we will not remain constructive if ignoring us is attempted. These organizations will multiply and take to the streets.”

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