COVID-19: Turkish Cyprus to postpone presidential polls

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

LEFKOSA (AA) - Presidential polls in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) set for April 29 will be postponed due to coronavirus, the country’s prime minister announced on Monday.

"We’re in consensus about postponing the presidential elections. We have also spoken about this matter with our president, Mustafa Akinci," Ersin Tatar told reporters after speaking with top Turkish Cypriot politicians, including Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay, in the capital Lefkosa.

Tatar also spoke about measures in the TRNC against coronavirus, with some six cases confirmed in the country to date.

The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has so far spread to at least 146 countries and territories, with the World Health Organization declaring the outbreak a pandemic.

According to Worldometer, a website that compiles new case numbers, out of roughly 173,000 confirmed cases, the death toll is over 6,600, while more than 77,500 of them have recovered.

The current number of active cases is over 88,500, with 93% in mild condition and 7% in critical condition.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut