PM Üstel Vows Full Investigation Into Nationwide Power Outage

“Even a very short interruption in such a vital sector can lead to serious consequences,” Üstel said, noting that the Turkish Cypriot people had long been dependent on the mercy of the Greek Cypriot administration. He recalled that the Teknecik Power Plant was launched in 1990 with $125 million in investment support from Turkey, with two units becoming operational in 1995 and 1996.

Referring to an explosion at Teknecik in the past that disabled half the system and caused the longest power cuts in history, Üstel said, “Every difficult period is overcome through social solidarity. Trying to exploit hardships for political gain does not align with a sense of collective responsibility.”

He said investigations into the cause of the fault at the Güneşköy facility were ongoing, with the Council of Ministers convening an extraordinary meeting to assess developments. Information was obtained from the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority (KIB-TEK) and the Police General Directorate, and all possibilities — including negligence, deliberate acts, or external interference — would be examined in a comprehensive probe.

According to Üstel, the Police General Directorate would swiftly mobilise its own investigative team, while KIB-TEK would expand its internal inquiry. An expert team from Turkey had also been requested to carry out inspections at all levels and prepare a detailed report. KIB-TEK’s production and transmission infrastructure would also undergo review.

The prime minister said the investigation into the cause of the outage and measures to ensure stable production would be concluded within 15 days at the latest, adding: “The results will be shared with the public in line with the principles of transparency, openness, and accountability. If there is any culpability or negligence, necessary action will be taken without hesitation.”

Stressing that increasing energy capacity had become imperative, Üstel acknowledged that current power generation technology was not environmentally friendly and that solar energy should be utilised to the fullest extent.

He emphasised the necessity of an interconnector cable link with Turkey, saying: “As with water, the solution for electricity lies with Motherland Turkey.” Üstel concluded by stating that the government’s goal was not to provide short-term fixes but to establish a trouble-free system for the future, adding, “I respect the reaction of all citizens who suffered inconvenience during the outage.”