Front Page Headlines
Second round once again
Turkish Cypriots headed to elect a president and community leaders. Ersin Tatar emerged from the ballot box with 32.35 per cent (35,825) of the votes and independent presidential candidate with 29.84 per cent (33,053) of the votes taking the elections to a second round. Akıncı, pleased with the outcome said the people had reflected its will despite all the interventions. National Unity Party (UBP) candidate Ersin Tatar claimed he had won a victory, adding that they will have to work very hard this week.
- Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman: “We shall not allow the people to be polarised”
- Özersay: “I will need to review my political career”
- Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı: “The fact we had to cut our campaign affected the result”
- Constitutional amendments rejected by 238 vote difference.
Second round
The Turkish Cypriot people headed to the polls to elect their next president, who will serve for the coming five years. None of the candidates received more than 50 per cent of the votes. In the second round on October 18, the two candidates who received the highest number of votes – Ersin Tatar and Mustafa Akıncı – will compete.
- “No” was the outcome of the referendum – Narin Ferdi Şefik, president of the Supreme Electoral Council, announced the results of the public referendum. 50.13 per cent of the voters rejected the constitutional amendments whereas 49.87 approved them.
Resisting meddling
Despite all the interference in the elections, the Turkish Cypriot people have passed the test of democracy once again with success. The UBP’s candidate Ersin Tatar and independent candidate Mustafa Akıncı advanced to the second round.
- Second rejection for the constitution – The voters rejected the proposed constitutional amendments in the public referendum which was simultaneously carried out with the presidential elections. The difference between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes is 283. The voters had also rejected the constitutional amendments in 2014.
Boycott from half the people
Predictions came true. Tatar and Akıncı made it to the second round. Turnout for the first round of the presidential elections stood at 58.21 per cent. It is believed the turnout which was 62.34 in the previous election was because of the pandemic. Prime Minister and UBP leader Ersin Tatar received the highest votes with 32.34 per cent, trailed by independent candidate Mustafa Akıncı with 29.84 per cent and Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman with 21.67 per cent. Tatar and Akıncı will contest in the second round on October 18. Meanwhile, Kudret Özersay received the biggest defeat in yesterday’s (Sunday) election with 5.74 per cent. Özersay had received 21.25 per cent. The YDP leader Erhan Arıklı also did not receive the support he had hoped for as he only received 5.36 per cent of the votes. Independent candidate Serdar Denktaş who was supported by the Democratic Party (DP) received 4.20 per cent.
- Night full of incident – While Turkish Cypriots were busy with elections, the Greek Cypriots tried to march towards Maraş (Varosha).
The fight for political will goes to the second round
The election turnout was 58.21 per cent. Nearly half of the voters did not go to vote. Ersin Tatar, who received 35,825 votes, finished the first round of elections first with 32.34 per cent. He is followed by Mustafa Akıncı, who received 33,053 votes or 29.84 per cent of the votes. Tatar and Akıncı advanced to the second round.
- ‘No’ outcome with a minor difference – The constitutional amendment, which was to increase the number of supreme court judges from eight to 16, was rejected by the voters in the public referendum.
- “I hope the interference will come to an end…” – Mustafa Akıncı said.
Main News
Akıncı & Tatar to compete in the second round
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis , Diyalog , Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
According to the unofficial results announced by the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK), Turkish Cypriot Prime and the National Unity Party’s (UBP) candidate Ersin Tatar pulled ahead of incumbent president Mustafa Akıncı Sunday’s election in the north with 32.35 per cent to 29.84 per cent respectively.
The elections will go to a second-round next Sunday.
In third place in the race was Tufan Erhurman with 21.67 per cent, followed by Kudret Özersay with 5.74 per cent, Erhan Arrıklı with 5.36 per cent, and Serdar Denktaş with 4.20 per cent
Turnout in Sunday’s election turnout was a historical low at 58.21 per cent.
Before the elections, incumbent leader Mustafa Akıncı opposed the opening up of Maraş (Varosha) beach, while talking openly about Turkey’s meddling in the Turkish Cypriot elections.
He has also spoken against seeking solutions other than the bicommunal, bizonal federation (BBF) being discussed for decades whereas Tatar had been advocating for alternative solutions to the Cyprus problem.
The UBP candidate Ersin Tatar, in an attempt to win votes, opened a section of (Maraş) Varosha. The other candidates slammed Tatar, stating that the Ankara-backed PR stunt to boost support for him was unacceptable.
What’s more, the move cost Tatar, what was already a fragile coalition with the Peoples’ Party (HP). The HP quit the coalition government citing that Tatar has undermined both the Turkish Cypriot political will and the state institutions.
On the other hand, according to the unofficial results on the public referendum, 50.13 per cent did not approve the constitutional amendments proposed compared to 49.87 per cent approving it.
This was the second attempt to make amendments to the constitution but the people voted against at the referendum. The first attempt to introduce changes to the constitution was put to a referendum in 2014.
In a speech from his party’s headquarters in Sarayönu Square, Tatar thanked his supporters and stated that “with the 33 per cent victory his party UBP achieved a triumph”.
He expressed concern at the low turnout and said he hoped more people would vote on October 18.
Speaking from his campaign headquarters in Nicosia, Akıncı said: “Turkish Cypriots expressed their will in the ballot boxes. I believed and I will continue to believe that there is no will stronger than their will. Left alone, these people can decide whom to choose. I hope that the interventions we have witnessed for so many weeks will come to an end.”
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhurman congratulated Akıncı and expressed disappointment both with results and the low turnout. The party assembly takes place on Tuesday, when, he said, “we will evaluate the results and decide our next steps.”
“The Turkish Cypriot people have expressed their political will. We will respect the results. The CTP is fully aware of the fact that the coming five-year period is going to be a difficult process,” Erhürman said, adding that there were challenges both domestically and at the international level which needed to be addressed.
He stressed that the CTP will not allow the Turkish Cypriot community to be polarised.
Experts had predicted that CTP most likely will throw its weight behind Akıncı in the second round, giving a major boost to his prospects for victory.
One of the biggest losers at the polls was Kudret Özersay.
He finished third back in 2015, when he made his electoral debut, running as an independent candidate, and winning over 20 per cent of the votes cast.
Now, after five years on the political scene Özersay, who in the meantime had founded the HP ended up with just 5.74 per cent of the vote.
He announced on his Facebook account that this disappointing outcome means he will have to revaluate his political future and the worrying uncertainties that lie ahead for the north in general.
“The real winners today are the politics of polarisation and tension,” he wrote.
Equally disappointed with his poor showing is the Rebirth Party (YDP) candidate Erhan Arıklı, who announced that he is ready to resign from the leadership.
Arıklı had spent the last three weeks in quarantine after contracting coronavirus.
In Nicosia 56.84 per cent voted, Kyrenia 50.5 per cent, Famagusta 53.64 per cent, Güzelyurt (Morphou) 54.15 per cent, İskele (Trikomo) 55.1 per cent and Lefke (Lefka) 58.1 per cent.
Tatar won in Famagusta and İskele (Trikomo), while Akıncı led in Nicosia and Kyrenia.
There were 198,867 registered voters and 738 polling stations.
Eleven candidates, seven as independents ran in for election.
GC protestors stage a demonstration at Derinya (Dherynia)
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis , Diyalog , Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
A group of Greek Cypriot protesters staged a demonstration at the Derinya (Dherynia) checkpoint on Sunday evening, while a video emerged showing masked men holding baseball bats, throwing flares, and chanting slogans y during the incident.
A fire broke out in the UN-controlled buffer zone as a result of the flares and fireworks thrown by the Greek Cypriot demonstrators.
A group of Turkish Cypriots gathered at the Turkish Cypriot end of the crossing point in response but no incident was experienced between the groups.
According to reports, an estimated 100 Greek Cypriot demonstrators gathered near the southern end of the Derinya (Dherynia) crossing point on Sunday evening around 8 pm, chanting anti-Turkish slogans.
The group started chanting slogans against Turkey, such as “Cyprus is Greek” and “Turks, Mongols, murderers” as some demonstrators marched forward to the Turkish Cypriot side.
Police took strict measures at the crossing point, preventing the Turkish Cypriot demonstrators from approaching the crossing point.
The fire service was on standby to intervene if the fire in the buffer zone were to spread to the north.