Aydın: Sabotage Possibility Under Investigation; Power Cuts Expected to End by Tomorrow

Speaking to BRT’s Manşet+ programme, Aydın stated that maintenance and renewal work on power plants and transmission lines is ongoing, and that the target is to fully restore supply by tomorrow.

He noted that some power plant maintenance is carried out by teams from Turkey, while others are handled by local crews. Transmission lines are being upgraded, and transformer projects are underway, including $7 million in Sınırüstü, $5 million in Nicosia, $8.2 million in Famagusta, and an additional $5 million in Gönyeli. Maintenance agreements worth over $10 million have been signed for the plants, and all loans taken for financing have been repaid. “There are those who cannot accept our strength. Investments will continue,” he said.

Aydın explained that the Council of Ministers has ordered an investigation into the fault, with all possibilities, including sabotage, being considered. “When I mentioned sabotage, I was not referring to our staff. In the past, there were attempts to set transformers on fire, and someone disabled the system in Meriç. We are thoroughly examining the technical reasons that might point to sabotage,” he said.

The Güneşköy fault should have remained a localised issue, but since it affected the power plant, an investigation is underway to understand why. Addressing public claims that maintenance is not carried out, Aydın said seasonal maintenance is regularly performed in March, April, October and November, when electricity demand is lower. He denied reports that air conditioners were not functioning, noting that power plants with low capacity have been strengthened since he took office, benefiting the public.

Aydın said 10,000 new subscribers join the grid each year, prompting continuous upgrades to meet demand. The existing capacity is 120 megawatts, with repairs on a 50-megawatt plant — which developed the fault — starting today and expected to finish by this evening.

He emphasised that all deficiencies are being urgently addressed and that feasibility studies for bringing electricity from Turkey via an undersea cable have been completed. The project will take around four years to complete, during which mobile power plants from Turkey have been deployed to maintain supply. Investments will continue under the Prime Minister’s instructions to ensure a smooth transition.

Commenting on the occasional dark smoke from Teknecik, Aydın said it was due to incomplete fuel combustion, not fuel quality. Filtration work is underway to eliminate the problem, and measurements have shown pollution levels to be low, with inspections conducted regularly.