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The election is over, but the fighting is not
The interference in the National Unity Party’s congress resulted in Faiz Sucuoğlu’s victory a year later. Sucuoğlu who had been forced to withdraw from the race a year ago just before the second round won the race. Nevertheless, his name continues to be mentioned in the hearing in the case concerning the video scandal.
A new era for the UBP
The two-day long congress for the UBP was concluded yesterday. Faiz Sucuoğlu won the leadership race among the three candidates by receiving the majority of the votes.
- “Positive” meeting in Roma – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome.
- 35,000 people waiting to be granted Republic of Cyprus (RoC) citizenship
The UBP barely
The members of the UBP went through an election process never seen before. In the end, despite all that happened, they elected Faiz Sucuoğlu as their leader. Sucuoğlu, who was accused by Ersan Saner of orchestrating a conspiracy against him received 5295 votes. 48.06 per cent of the UBP members did not go to the ballots. Only 8726 people out of the registered 16481 members voted at the congress.
‘It’s going to be very different’
Sucuoğlu who won from the first round promised a democratic and more transparent administration. Faiz Sucuoğlu who had withdrawn from the second round of the election last November emerged victorious from yesterday’s congress, receiving 5296 of the 8726 votes cast. His rivals Hasan Taçoy received 2,869 and Zorlu Töre 468. 95 votes were declared invalid.
UBP members were cross, refusing to go to the ballots
Faiz Sucuoğlu who had won the leadership race in the last congress (October 2020) but had to give up due to interference by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), won this time round despite all attempts, becoming the new leader of the UBP. Only 8727 members out of 16,484 voted at the congress. Participation in the election was barely 51 per cent… Ersan Saner’s call on members not to vote for Faiz Sucuoğlu did not find any support.
Main News
Sucuoğlu elected as new UBP leader defeating his rival Taçoy
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance and Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Faiz Sucuoğlu was elected as the new leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) on Sunday amid accusations by his predecessor Ersan Saner that he had orchestrated the release of a compromising video that had forced him to withdraw from the race.
Sucuoğlu won in all four ballot boxes, receiving 5295 votes and 60.7 per cent of the votes, becoming the new leader of the UBP, the largest political party in the north which has a voter base between 35 to 45 per cent.
The final result was announced by Sunat Atun, who served as the chairman of the general assembly. Hasan Taçoy, his closest competitor at the last general congress came second winning a total of 2869 (32.9 per cent) votes. The third candidate Zorlu Töre displayed a poor performance, only securing 468 (5.4 per cent) votes.
The low turnout left its mark on the congress as voting barely passed the 50% mark with 52.94 per cent. In other words, only 8727 of the 16,000 members cast their votes. The low turnout was attributed to the growing frustration of members with what has been going on within the party.
In the meantime, UBP General Secretary Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, speaking during a web TV programme, stressed the UBP members will close ranks behind the candidate that wins the leadership elections. Sucuoğlu in his remarks following him declared as the new leader of the party, thanked all the UBP members for “once again setting examples for democracy.”
He said there is already talk of an early election. Sucuoğlu promised his supporters and the members that the UBP will become the ruling party on its own following the elections. He added that the primary focus of the new government will be the economy.
On the issue of the Cyprus problem and foreign policy, Sucuoğlu reiterated the UBP’s full support for Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s new vision on the Cyprus problem. He also said the UBP will continue to be in close cooperation with Turkey.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar is expected to hand over the task of forming a new government to Sucuoğlu on Monday.However, it is most likely that Sucuoğlu will head an interim government until early elections are held by the end of the year.
A long list of people waiting for RoC citizenship, says Elcil
Kıbrıs
Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Şener Elcil, General Secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union (KTÖS) said the Greek Cypriot side’s decision to grant two children born to a bicommunal couple, ‘exceptional citizenship,’ does not set a precedent for the people living in the north.
In his assessment of the citizenship case to Kıbrıs, Elcil added that however, the efforts led by KTÖS for Republic of Cyprus (RoC) citizenship for nearly 35,000 people from the north continued. He also added that thousands of people are made to suffer due to the decision by Greek Cypriot officials not to grant citizenship to children born to mixed marriages.
Noting that the RoC laws require a cabinet decision for children born into families whereby one of the parents is a foreigner, Elcil said the Greek Cypriot side does not recognize the ‘marriage certificate’ given in the north after 1974.
Elcil added that because of their policies, the Greek Cypriot administration now separates citizenship right into different categories whereby children born into mixed marriages abroad are given citizenship but not the ones born in the north or the south. He also recalled that the KTÖS has filed a lawsuit at the Greek Cypriot courts on the issue, which has been taken to the Appeals following losing the district court level.
“If we win the case at the Appeals Court, which we believe will last another year, it will become a precedent case for everyone in the north,” Elcil said, adding that they will take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) should they lose the case.
Elcil also said the KTÖS has raised the RoC citizenship issue with the UN Human Rights Commission as well. He added that the Commission has asked the RoC to explain in writing regarding the human rights violations on the citizenship issue.
Erdoğan and Biden met on the sidelines of G20, discussing East Med.
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Joe Biden met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome on Sunday focusing on bilateral relations as well as the regional issues including the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Directorate about the meeting, the two leaders declared a shared will to further strengthen and develop Turkey-U.S. relations and agreed to establish a joint mechanism in this direction.
The White House also issued a statement following the meeting, stating that Biden underscored his desire to maintain constructive relations with Turkey during the meeting. “Biden reaffirmed the US defence partnership and Turkey’s importance as a NATO Ally, but noted U.S. concerns over Turkey’s possession of the Russian S-400 missile system,” the statement read.
The White House statement said Biden and Erdoğan also discussed the political process in Syria, humanitarian assistance for Afghans, elections in Libya, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and diplomatic efforts in the South Caucasus.
Bicommunal film to be screened at Raindance
Yenidüzen
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The bicommunal film “The Hunt” which focuses on homophobia and patriarchy is meeting with audiences in the UK. The film which will be screened at the Raindance Film festival on Monday stars: Ali Düşenkalkar, Erdoğan Kavaz, Elmaziye Derviş, Andreas Orphanides abd Yaşar Aydin Karaca.
The film’s writers Sholeh Zahraei, Kamil Saldun and actor Derviş will be coming together with cinema buffs after the screening. The film is told from an intersectional and queer perspective and inspired by the biblical story of The Binding of Isaac.