Northern Cyprus lawyer warns that drug treatment lacks staff and tests

Northern Cyprus’s new treatment route depended on services that lawyer Ramadan Sanıvar said were struggling to deliver it. In January 2017, he warned that too few psychiatric and rehabilitation resources, disrupted testing and administrative delays were obstructing the programme. He called for changes to make it work.^[1]

A treatment order came with continuing obligations

The law introduced in May 2016 offered eligible people convicted of drug possession or use supervision, treatment or rehabilitation before sentence. Accepting that route meant following a programme over a period set by the court, between one and three years.^[2]

A report from two psychiatrists informed that decision. The programme then required regular blood and urine tests at the state hospital laboratory, at least once every fifteen days, with more frequent testing possible when needed. Participants had to comply with the board’s instructions throughout the process.^[2]

The stakes were substantial. Successful completion meant no sentence and no conviction entry. A breach of programme obligations, failure to respond to the board or another drug conviction during supervision could return the person to the criminal process. Access to the required services therefore mattered to the outcome of the case.^[2]

Sanıvar described gaps between the duties and the services

Interviewed by Havadis, the lawyer and university lecturer said psychiatric capacity and rehabilitation facilities were inadequate. He also reported that a fire at the state laboratory had disrupted the testing required by the law.^[1]

His criticism included the paperwork needed to start and supervise a programme. Delayed files could hold up compliance. He called for staffing and procedural changes so participants could carry out the duties imposed on them.^[1]

The legislation assigned those duties across several institutions. Psychiatrists assessed treatment needs, Social Services supplied support and reports, and a supervised-release board prepared the programme and informed the court about progress. A court order brought those services into the same person’s case.^[2]

Later reporting recorded people receiving support

The Social Services activity report for 2018–2019 recorded regular interviews and psychosocial support for 98 people who had benefited from the law. The figure covered drug users generally, without a separate cannabis count.^[3]

For readers of the Northern Cyprus profile, the early criticism helps explain what supervised release demanded in practice. The legal opportunity to avoid a sentence came with medical appointments, testing and continuing supervision, all of which required functioning services.^[2]