Trade unions demand that the deficiencies in the fire department of Ercan Airport be corrected by the end of January

The Union of Turkish Cypriot Public Servants (KTAMS) and the Union of Turkish Cypriot Civil Servants (KAMUSEN) held a press conference on January 12 in front of the Erjyan Airport fire department in Northern Cyprus, demanding that deficiencies in equipment and infrastructure be corrected by the end of January. Otherwise, the unions warned of "shock" strikes in February.

Güven Bengihan, chairman of KTAMS, spoke about the long-standing failure to maintain fire trucks and technical equipment, noting that some equipment has been in use for 21 years and the last repair was conducted in 2023. According to him, failures are regularly recorded in foam monitors, pumping systems, additional lighting, and transmission; ventilation in garages and exhaust systems is disrupted; some rescue vehicles have electrical faults.

Bengihan also pointed out the lack of protective suits for ten recently hired employees, the use of construction power supply in the building, and frequent false alarms from the fire alarm system, which, in his view, reduces the operational readiness of the unit and jeopardizes safety. He reminded that the airport, according to ICAO rules, is classified as "Category 9".

Metin Atan, head of KAMUSEN, confirmed that contract conditions are not being met and demanded intervention from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. The unions called on the responsible company and the ministry to correct the identified defects by the end of January; otherwise, they intend to proceed with strikes in February. Union representatives stated that they do not wish to cause inconvenience to the public.