Bengihan: “There Are People Receiving Salaries Without Working; If the Prime Minister Denies It, We Will Reveal Their Names”

During the protest in front of the Ministry of Economy and Energy, Bengihan highlighted the critical shortage of personnel at the Industrial Department, arguing that this not only disrupted workplace harmony but also prevented the public from receiving efficient and high-quality services.

He pointed out that the legislation governing the department had remained unchanged since 1989, despite a significant increase in workload. The number of industrial zones had expanded from six to 17, while the number of personnel at the fairgrounds had dropped to just one, he said.

Bengihan further noted that the Lefkoşa Fairgrounds and the official service vehicles within it had been left idle for years and that no fairs had been held in the TRNC for the past five years. He called on the government to take action on both legislative and employment issues.

CLAIMS OF POLITICAL PATRONAGE AND GHOST EMPLOYMENT

Bengihan accused the government of hiring nearly 300 temporary workers over the past year, positioning them in managerial-like roles without oversight. He claimed that these individuals were untouchable and did not even show up for work.

Criticizing officials for attending fairs abroad while failing to organize similar events domestically, he said it was unacceptable that the TRNC had not held a fair for five years. Bengihan stressed that unions had been reluctant to escalate the situation but would not hesitate to take further action if necessary.

He alleged that while the government provided financial incentives to industrialists, it also used public resources to benefit political allies. Bengihan stated that both the Audit Office and the Ombudsman were aware of the situation and that paying salaries to absent employees constituted a crime.

"IF THE PRIME MINISTER DENIES IT, WE WILL REVEAL THE NAMES"

Bengihan directly challenged Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, saying, “I am stating that there are people receiving salaries without working. Let the Prime Minister come out and deny it—let him say ‘No, there aren’t.’ The day he denies it, we will go to the Prime Ministry and reveal their names, one by one.”