North Cyprus is facing a severe road safety crisis, according to recent statements from Ayer Yarkıner, President of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (MMO). Yarkıner argues that the country is in a “death sleep” when it comes to addressing traffic dangers.
In a written statement addressing the loss of life on North Cyprus roads, Yarkıner revealed a startling statistic: the rate of fatal accidents in North Cyprus is six times higher than that of the European Union average. This places North Cyprus in the unenviable position of sixth in Europe for traffic-related fatalities.
“If our traffic situation remains this primitive and unsafe, it’s because we’ve been in a death sleep on this issue since 1974,” Yarkıner stated, highlighting the long-standing nature of the problem.
The MMO President emphasized that while new regulations could take up to five years to show significant effects, many of these safety measures have already been enacted into law in European Union member states and Türkiye. However, North Cyprus lags behind in implementing similar legislation.
“Because this issue hasn’t been legislated in our country, vehicles lacking modern safety features are being imported,” Yarkıner explained.
