Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (KTİMB), announced today that all earthquake reinforcement works have been halted due to what he described as "banausist approaches," clumsiness, and indifference in the bureaucracy. Gürcafer's remarks highlight growing frustrations within the construction sector amid delays and inefficiencies in state processes.

In his statement, Gürcafer criticized the lack of coordination among state institutions, stating, "The disconnect between state institutions has overwhelmed us all. Our contractors are fed up with being constantly thrown from one to the other like a ball." He emphasized that only 20 schools have completed reinforcement work out of 90 approved projects due to bureaucratic delays and indifference.

Gürcafer specifically called out the finance bureaucracy, accusing it of undermining efforts despite the high risk of earthquakes in the region. He noted the contributions of the Earthquake Committee, particularly the Prime Ministry Undersecretary and his team, whose work has been hindered by financial bottlenecks.

“During this period when the earthquake threat is at its highest level, the ‘trivial’ approach of some institutions is heartless. You left us no other choice but to stop all work as of today,” Gürcafer stated, expressing his deep frustration over the lack of urgency.

This decision comes as concerns over earthquake preparedness grow, underscoring the need for streamlined and efficient collaboration among state bodies to address the pressing safety needs of schools and public infrastructure.