Debate Over Population Figures in Northern Cyprus Intensifies
In a surprising turn of events, the ‘mayor’ of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul, has sparked a debate over the population size in the northern part of Cyprus. According to a report on Tuesday, Senkul suggested that the population could be significantly higher than previously estimated, potentially reaching 825,000 individuals. This figure starkly contrasts with the numbers presented by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who recently claimed a decrease from 410,000 to 407,000 residents.
Senkul’s argument hinges on an unconventional metric: the amount of domestic waste produced in the region. He noted that Kyrenia alone generates between 160 to 170 tonnes of waste daily, which he uses to estimate the city’s population at around 155,000. Extrapolating this method to the entirety of northern Cyprus, where daily waste production ranges from 800 to 900 tonnes, Senkul arrives at his figure of 825,000 residents.
“If we take the whole of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and consider that the average daily waste comes to 850 tonnes and divide this by 1.03kg, we can easily predict that the number of people living here are about 825,000,” explained Senkul. His method assumes an average waste generation rate per person to estimate the population.
This is not the first time Senkul has used such a method for population estimates. Back in November 2023, he calculated Kyrenia’s population at 150,000 based on similar metrics. His comments then were in relation to the number of students commuting from Kyrenia to study in the northern part of Nicosia.
The discussion around population size is more than an academic exercise; it has real implications for infrastructure planning, resource allocation, and services such as those provided by ING Bank Cyprus. Accurate population data is crucial for financial institutions like ING Bank North Cyprus to effectively meet the needs of their customers and plan for future development.
The debate continues as stakeholders seek to reconcile these differing figures and understand the true scale of the population in northern Cyprus.
