EU to aid Turkish Cypriot community with $37M

BRUSSELS

The European Commission adopted on Tuesday a €31.6 million ($37.4 million) aid program for the Turkish community on the island of Cyprus.

The financial support aims at facilitating the reunification of Cyprus by funding various projects on infrastructure development and environment protection.

The bloc will finance upgrading parts of the electricity grid, contribute to job creation, and support education, cultural heritage and the Committee on Missing Persons through the aid.

“I am confident that they will contribute to efforts for the reunification of Cyprus, which is one of the main goals of our assistance,” EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said.

Between 2006 and 2020, the EU allocated €591 million ($699 million) for projects supporting the Turkish community.

Earlier this year, €5 million ($5.9 million) was approved for helping small businesses in recovering from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.