North Cyprus cheque bans reached 778 in first half of 2026

A total of 778 people were placed under cheque bans for bounced cheques in North Cyprus during the first six months of 2026, according to the TRNC Central Bank’s second-quarter report as reported by Halkın Sesi.

The figure increased during the second quarter. The report recorded 305 people under cheque bans between January and March, compared with 472 between April and June.

The comparable figure for the first half of 2025 was 583, while 338 people were recorded during the same period in 2024, according to the report.

Halkın Sesi reported that the 2026 total was the highest recorded over the past five years. That distinction is based on the newspaper’s report of the Central Bank data and has not been independently verified by News24.

The newspaper described the increase as a sign that businesses were facing greater difficulty managing cash flow. It also warned that commercial credit risks could increase further.

Cheque bans are linked in the report to bounced cheques, but the supplied information does not provide a breakdown by sector, company size or the value of the cheques involved.