Front Page Headlines
Government pains under the shadow of interference
All eyes have turned to the other parties after the task of forming the new government was handed to the National Unity Party’s (UBP) General Secretary Ersan Saner. People’s Party (HP) General Secretary Jale Refik Rogers: “We shall evaluate and discuss this issue within our party assembly and relevant bodies.” Rebirth Party (YDP) General Secretary Bertan Zaroğlu: “We are not insisting on being part of the government and we could give our support from the outside on the condition of early elections.” Democratic Party (DP) General Secretary Afet Özcafer: “We shall sit at the table for the sake of not wasting the two remaining years. Whatever has been experienced has been experienced. Our focus should be the welfare of the country.” Republican Turkish Party (CTP) General Secretary Erdoğan Sorakin: “We shall evaluate the possibility of a coalition with the UBP within our relevant party bodies. However, my personal opinion is that there is not a strong possibility.” Social Democratic Party (TDP) General Secretary Halil Hızal: “They’re welcome to visit for coffee but that’s just how far the conversation will go.”
Saner has been tasked
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar handed the task of forming the new cabinet to Ersan Saner, the current acting leader of UBP. The UBP party assembly also authorised Saner to carry out meetings to form the cabinet.
- Worth ₺1.5m (€150,000) – Narcotics unit of the police carried out an operation seizing the highest amount of heroin in recent years. Police arrested five people in possession of 1.3kg of heroin.
- Erdoğan to visit the TRNC together with Bahçeli – Turkish President Erdoğan said the People’s Alliance will be in our country on November 15.
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A new cabinet within a week
Acting UBP leader Ersan Saner who was assigned with the task of forming a new government received full support from his party’s assembly. According to information obtained by Diyalog, Saner aims at completing the process of forming a new government before November 15 ahead of a planned visit to the island by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said that his priority will be to form a new coalition with HP.
- Picnic in Maraş –Erdoğan and Bahçeli to arrive on the island on November 15.
- This is a record –314 new cases detected in South Cyprus.
A public picnic
Tayyip Erdoğan will be accompanied by Devlet Bahçeli to Maraş (Varosha) on November 15. Erdoğan: On the 15th of this month, as the People’s Alliance, we will be in North Cyprus together with Mr Bahçeli. We will attend ceremonies… Then we will hold a picnic all together in Maraş (Varosha). “Thank God as a result of the elections in North Cyprus, we now have a brother who loves and accepts Turkey’s president,” Erdoğan said.
- Tatar tasked Saner with the responsibility – Ersan Saner said he believes he will be able to successfully form the cabinet earlier than the given 15 days. Tatar said: It is our wish to see the most realistic government model that can work in harmony as soon as possible.
- Trump lost, Biden won – Biden’s victory is now definite even though the vote count continues in some of the states. Trump continues to resist in giving up the White House and is provoking his supporters to go on the streets.
- 314 new coronavirus cases in the south and ten in the north.
Main News
Tatar says he will insist on a two-state solution
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Economy
OVERVIEW
“We are advocating for a two-state solution based on sovereign equality and collaboration,” Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar said on Saturday.
Tatar was speaking during a visit paid to him by a delegation from the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) headed by Rıfat Hisarcıklıoğlu.
Hısarcıklıoğlu and his delegation were invited to the north by Turgay Deniz, head of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) on Saturday.
Tatar, addressing the visitors, drew attention to the importance of stability for economic development.
He added the north’s economy was growing stronger by the day with the support of Turkey.
“Given the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s determination and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strong support to the Turkish Cypriots’ struggle, the TRNC has become stronger,” Tatar said.
He said that he had conveyed this view to the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades on November 3.
“I told Mr Anastasiades that Cyprus was no longer the old Cyprus we knew and the Eastern Mediterranean is not the same either… I told him that the Greek Cypriot side had not reciprocated the Turkish Cypriot side’s goodwill which was why some things could no longer be the same,” Tatar said.
He reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side from now on will be advocating for a two-state solution where the two states could co-exist side by side and could collaborate on important issues.
“No one can deny the fact that two states already exist on the island,” Tatar stressed.
He said he had also raised the issue of direct flights to the north but that the Greek Cypriot leader had made it clear they would not accept such a thing out of fear that such a move would upgrade the north’s political status.
“Regardless of recognition, the Greek Cypriot side must start seeing the facts on the island and that the TRNC is becoming stronger by the day,” Tatar concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> TC side will be advocating a two-state solution based on sovereign equally where states can co-exist side by side & collaborate.
>> The north’s economy grows stronger with Turkey’s support.
>> The TC are no longer at the same point as GC side has failed to respond to the TC side’s goodwill.
>> The existence of two states on the island cannot be denied.
>> Regardless of recognition, the GC side must start seeing the facts on the island & that the TRNC is becoming stronger by the day.
Saner handed the task of forming a new government
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
All eyes have turned to the other parties in the north after President Ersin Tatar on Saturday handed the task of forming the new government to the National Unity Party’s (UBP) General Secretary and acting leader Ersan Saner..
Tatar had met separately with the party leaders on Friday to discuss possible government scenarios and to listen to the party’s positions.
Speaking to reporters after assigning Saner the task, Tatar said that it was important for a new government to be set up as soon as possible.
Saner for his part said he was aware of the responsibility given to him and would start work to form a new coalition as soon as possible.
“We, as the most rooted party in the country shall continue to create and implement projects and to do our best for the country in line with our vision and mission,” he said.
Saner added that he planned to form the government before the planned visit to the north on November 15 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Meanwhile, later on Saturday afternoon, the UBP’s party assembly gave Saner full support and authority to launch efforts to form a new government.
Saner is expected to carry out visits to the political parties starting as of Monday.
In the meantime, the five other political parties that have seats in the 50-member Turkish Cypriot parliament voiced their views to Yenidüzen on the possibility of entering a coalition with the UBP.
Speaking to the press, the People’s Party (HP) General Secretary Jale Refik Rogers said that they will evaluate and discuss this issue within our party assembly and relevant bodies.
The General Secretary of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Bertan Zaroğlu said his party was not insistent on being part of the new coalition but would be ready to support the cabinet from the outside on the condition that there was an agreement to hold early elections.
Democratic Party (DP) General Secretary Afet Özcafer said that her party believed it was vital to form a new government and not to waste any more time.
“We shall sit at the table for the sake of not wasting the two remaining years before elections are set to take place. Whatever has been experienced has been experienced. Our focus should be the welfare of the country.”
The General Secretay of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Erdoğan Sorakin said that his party will evaluate the possibility of a coalition with UBP
He, however, expressed his personal view that that the likelihood of an UBP-CTP coalition was quite low.
The Social Democratic Party (TDP) General Secretary Halil Hızal on the other hand ruled out the possibility of taking part in any coalition formation with the UBP.
“They’re welcome to visit for coffee but that’s just how far the conversation will go,” Hızal said.
Turkey will protect the interests of Turkey & the TCs
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
External Security, Energy, Regional/International Relations, Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
“Turkish Armed Forces will continue to protect the interests of Turkey and the TRNC and will continue to be the assurance of peace and security on Cyprus with rights emanating from the international security and guarantees treaties,” Şebnem Aktop, spokeswoman for the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said.
Speaking during her routine press conference, Aktop added that the Turkish hydrocarbon exploration activities continue in line with the established plan.
“The Oruç Reis seismic research vessel is continuing its activities within the Turkish continental shelf. The Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa is currently in the south-west of Cyprus. It is an area licensed by the TRNC to the Turkish Petroleum (TPAO),” Aktop said.
Aktop concluded by underlining that the Turkish Armed Forces is providing protection to all the seismic research vessels and drilling ships in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Sea.
In the meantime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will be visiting the north on November 15 together with Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and member of the ‘People’s Alliance’ with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Addressing an AKP provincial congress in southern Turkey, Erdoğan said he will be attending the unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) ceremonies held in the north and will move to have a picnic in the recently opened parts of Maraş (Varosha) following the completion of the official ceremonies.
Nami warns Tatar’s policies will drag TCs down
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
CTP MP Özdli Nami has said that Ersin Tatar’s attempts to revive old policies on the Cyprus issue had brought great relief to the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades.
In an interview with Yenidüzen, the former negotiator who served with both former Turkish Cypriot leaders Mehmet Ali Talat and Mustafa Akıncı said that the latest statement made by the UN mission in Cyprus was the most meaningless and weakest statement issued to date.
He added that the statement was empty and that the situation had only become clear after the two leaders issued their statements after the meeting.
“The statements and positions of the two leaders are completely opposite to each other. It will be impossible for the UN to convene a five-party conference under these circumstances and if the two leaders do not change the positions they have announced to their respective communities,” he said.
Nami said that Anastasiades had referred to UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, parameters and reunification of the island under a federal roof.
“On the other hand, we have Tatar who expressed the view that UN parameters could not take us anywhere and that it is meaningless to pursue a federal solution. He spoke of tabling a two-state solution at the table,” he added.
Nami added that Tatar’s efforts will only result in the Turkish side being branded as intransigent.
“We have a president who will take us to pre-2004 conditions,” he said, adding that Turkey had lost all of its belief that a federal settlement can be reached on the island.
Nami added that should talks for a federal settlement resume, Ankara will want to be given reassurances that the negotiations will yield results.
“Such reassurance can only be given by the UN. I believe that Turkey will stand firm on its maximalist position and will only accept resuming talks if the UN convinces it that the new process, for a federation or two-state-solution will be subject to a deadline and will be results-oriented. Only then may Ankara tell Tatar to proceed on talks for one last time,” he said.
Asked to comment on plans to reopen Maraş (Varosha), Nami said he did not believe that process will earn the Turkish Cypriot community anything of high value.
“This project may have several goals. The first may be to form some kind of pressure on the Greek Cypriot side, trying to convince the Greek Cypriots that they will be losing even what is most precious to them in the event of a non-solution. The second, which would be a great miscalculation, is the belief that they will be able to achieve economic gains from reopening the fenced-off town,” he said.
Nami said that it was highly unlikely for investors to invest millions of dollars in Maraş (Varosha) in an area controlled by the politically unrecognized TRNC.
He added that there were dozens of other places in the north which were not as legally problematic as Maraş (Varosha) which had failed to attract investors.
“What would make Maraş (Varosha) any different from the other areas? What will it make it unique?” he asked.
Nami said that reopening Maraş (Varosha) would have been a meaningful project if the Turkish Cypriot side had succeeded in opening the town in coordination with the UN and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as a confidence-building measure in exchange for launching direct flights to the north.
He said he did not see the Maraş (Varosha) project to be a serious project.
“This project is like the project to bring electricity to the island from Turkey via cable. The issue comes up at every election to win votes but no one takes any serious steps when the time comes,” Nami added.