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TURKS AND CAICOS STILL LOOKING TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE, SAYS PREMIER RUFUS EWING

TURKS AND CAICOS STILL LOOKING TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE, SAYS PREMIER RUFUS EWING
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Turks and Caicos Islands is still considering political independence from Britain, Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing has said.

Ewing told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that “independence remains a major issue” three years after Britain suspended the island’s constitution and set up a one-man commission to probe the government of then premier Michael Misick.

“I think any right thinking country should have independence as its destination. The time period however is the question. The need for independence must be the goal and so everything you do should be to prepare your people and country for that giant step. There will be a number of factors that will come into play as to whether or not that time should be fast tracked or continue along the pace that you would desire to have or would like to have and that would depend on the ongoing relationship with the United Kingdom government and the people in the territory,” he said.

Ewing said that the government “of the day” would also have a role to play and “allowed to do what is right by the people, for the people to improve their standard of living and to prepare us for our plans for moving towards that step of independence.

“If it doesn’t happen, all it does is to make the people even more convinced that independence is our only way out,” said Ewing, who is here attending the 14th annual Caribbean Tourism Organisation organised Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-14).

He told CMC that over the past three years, more citizens have become convinced “that independence is the way to go, more than ever before in the past because of the relationship we have had (with Britain) over the past three years.

Ewing, who studied in Barbados and Jamaica and is well known throughout the Eastern Caribbean, said while he would not commit personally to a timeframe” for independence, “what I know we will do is to appoint an independence commission from the House of Assembly to look at timeframes to look at milestones that need to be achieved and to look at referendum settings…”.

Ewing, whose government holds a slender one seat majority in Parliament, said there is stability in the country.

“The stability is just about there. We have elected a government that we have confidence in from a stand point of investors,” he said, aware that with a one seat majority in the House “if anything happens then we can keep on going back to by elections and by elections and so it may not give the people the level of security they would want”.

While he would not comment on the re-arrest of former premier Misick in Brazil and the extradition proceedings that had been started against him by Britain, Ewing told CMC he was still “awaiting” a response to suggestions that Britain was trying to re-colonise its territories in the Caribbean including the Cayman Islands.

“Well, I am sure everybody has a reason for doing things and I still awaiting the answer to the question,” he said, adding “I were a conspiracy theorist that would be my theory” as to whether London was using finances to the territories to “keep them in check

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By Cem Kınay

With many important hotel investments and international awards, Dr. Cem Kinay is one of the world's most important names in the tourism industry.

As the founder of the Austrian, Vienna-based Gulet Turistik(1987) and Magic Life Hotels(1990) chain, he created the "All Inclusive" hotel experience for European tourists.

He managed the Magic Life Hotels chain, which has a total of 20,000 beds and 23 hotels in Austria, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Egypt, Tunisia and Bulgaria, with more than 8000 teammates, as the fastest growing and most successful hotel concept at that time.

Millions of guests were hosted during 15 years, in Sarigerme, Marmaris, Bodrum, Belek, Side and Kemer in Turkey, Kos, Crete, Corfu and Rhodes Islands in Greece, Arlberg in Austria, Hamamet in Tunisia, Mahdia, Djerba, Egypt Sharm El Sheikh and Nile.

In 2021, the establishment of the Anatolity Sustainable Culture and Tourism Foundation was started with Elif Dağdeviren.

In 2020 he did consultancy for construction of u

In 2019 he was founding board member for Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency .

In January 2019 his book “Be Human.Be Smart “was published by Destek Publications.

In 2018 his first book, “Akıllı Ol.İnsan Ol” was published by Destek Yayınları.

2017 Cem KINAY founded Cem KINAY XPD Consulting, providing investment, concept design and digital transformation consultancy for domestic and foreign investors.

In 2014/2015 he was GALATASARAY SPORTS CLUB Board Member.

In 2012 he moved to Istanbul.

In 2009 he had to leave the island after the coup in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the seizure of power and projects by the British government.

In 2006, he was honored by the President of Austria with important and valuable awards such as the "Austrian State Order".

Under the management of Cem Kinay, Gulet Turistik and Magic Life Hotels chain won more than 50 valuable awards from important organizations.

2005-2009 As the founder of The O Property Collection, he made the investments and real estate development of the Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay Hotel and Bulgari Hotel in the Turks and Caicos. In that years he worked with the world's most magnificent architects like Zaha Hadid, Piero Lissoni, Antonio Citterio, David Chipperfield, Shigeru Ban, Kengo Kuma, Carl Ettensperger and Chad Oppenheim.

In 2004, he sold his shares in the Magic Life Hotels chain to the German TUI group, he moved to Miami, lived in America and Turks and Caicos Islands until 2012.

2003 Opening of the first “All Inclusive” Magic Life hotel on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura.

2002 Opening of the first “All Inclusive” Magic Life hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

2001 Opening of the first “All Inclusive” Magic Life Nile Shiphotel on the Nile river in Egypt.

2001 Opening of the first “All Inclusive” Magic Life hotel in Varna, Bulgaria.

2001 the German TUI joined Magic Life hotel chain.

1998 The first Magic Life Jet was designed and started to fly in cooperation with Austrian Airlines.

1997 Opening of the first "All Inclusive" Magic Life hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia.

In 1997, he was awarded as "Man of the Year" by Austria's important economy magazine "Trend Magazine".

In 1996, he was awarded as the "Tourism Manager of the Year" by the Hotel and Tourism magazine "Traveller".

In 1996 Opening of the first "All Inclusive" Magic Life hotel on the Greek island Kos.

1995/1996 Opening of the first “All Inclusive” Magic Life Ski Hotel in the Arlberg / Austria.

In 1994 The first "All Inclusive" Magic Life Yacht gulet sailed in Bodrum.

In 1990 He founded with his partner Oğuz Serim the Magic Life Hotels Chain and opened the first "All Inclusive" hotel, Magic Life Sarigerme.

1977-1984 Vienna University Faculty of Medicine

1969-1977 Istanbul Austrian High School

1969 he graduated from Ağrı Alpaslan Primary School.

1958-1969 he lived in Aşkale/Erzurum, Diyarbakır and Ağrı.

He was born in 1958 in Istanbul Bakirköy.