Tragedy has struck in the waters off occupied Kyrenia. A shipwreck, with dead and missing. We’ve been watching this wreck turn into a full-blown tragedy since Sunday afternoon.
Right now, the search for survivors obviously comes first. Some have been pulled out alive, some dead, and others are still missing. At the same time, both the occupied areas and Turkey are trying to work out what caused the wreck. There’s plenty being said about the catamaran’s history, and about the loose, superficial approach to safety that clearly exists there.
An investigation into the cause of the wreck has now begun, we’re told. There are various factors shaping the picture of what led to this deadly tragedy. That investigation matters. But right now, what matters most is finding anyone still missing in the area of the wreck.
Quite rightly, the Republic of Cyprus offered to help the moment the wreck became known. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), through the United Nations and the relevant bicommunal committee, made clear from the outset it stood ready to help in any way it could to save lives. Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy on the government’s behalf. He noted: “The Republic of Cyprus made clear from the very first moment that it stood fully ready to assist immediately in the search and rescue effort, offering every resource necessary. At a moment like this, protecting human life comes above everything else.”
The occupation side, as we know, turned down the help offered by the Republic of Cyprus. A breakaway entity is judged by its actions and its decisions. Especially at a time when confidence-building measures are supposedly under discussion. But this is clearly not the moment to drag that debate into the open.
Human life comes before politics and every other agenda. That, in fact, is exactly what drove the Republic of Cyprus to go ahead and announce, through the United Nations and the relevant bicommunal committee, its readiness to help. And as is well known, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre has responsibility for the whole of Cyprus.
