TCC Press Review 5 Nov 2021

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

A visit to the embassy before presenting the ‘cabinet’

It was claimed that Faiz Sucuoğlu who was elected as the leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) and who immediately after his election was handed the mandate by President Ersin Tatar to form a new government presented his cabinet first to the Turkish ambassador before taking it to Tatar. While embassy sources confirmed the visit, they denied that Sucuoğlu had presented the cabinet to the ambassador’s approval. Sucuoğlu who commented on the reports said that his visit was aimed at assessing the situation with experts.

Kıbrıs

The political agenda is intense today

UBP leader Faiz Sucuoğlu will submit President Ersin Tatar the new cabinet for the UBP-Democratic Party (DP) minority government. The parliamentary advisory board will also convene this morning.

  • Turkish Cypriot Tuncer Dağaşaner died in a workplace accident in the south.

Havadis

Ruined economy and disrespected the laws

Main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman evaluated the 10-month long term for the minority government. He said laws were repeatedly being violated and that the government was acting against the constitution. “The fact that the state budget was not sent to the parliament is a sign of the government’s disrespect for the rule of law,” Erhürman said.

  • The YSK is ready for an early electionThe President of the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) shared her evaluations on the early election and the election law with the public.

Diyalog

(Early) elections become a must

The public which supports an early election is calling on the government to set a date without further delay. Everyone’s attention has now turned to Sucuoğlu’s new cabinet. Members of the public speaking to Diyalog said, “the new government should carry the country to early elections without any delay.” Many drew attention to the economic crisis, pointing out that the minority government was not capable of finding solutions or convening parliament to pass urgently needed laws.

  • A message sent via a military exercise While the TRNC government is dealing with election crises, the south announced it will start new drilling activities.

Avrupa

The cabinet to be first approved by Ankara and then Tatar

Faiz Sucuoğlu knocked on the Turkish embassy’s door to get his cabinet approved before submitting it to Ersin Tatar. Sucuoğlu shared the new cabinet with Tatar but the president advised him to consult with Ankara first. As a result, Sucuoğlu went to the Turkish embassy to brief the ambassador. It is not yet known whether or not Ankara has any objections to the new cabinet.

  • CTP and YDP are also against split votingWhile the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Rebirth Party (YDP) are in favour of revoking the system of split voting, the Social Democratic Party (TDP) and People’s Party (HP) are against the idea.

Main News

Sucuoğlu’s cabinet ready, but waiting for Ankara’s approval

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance and Power Sharing

OVERVIEW

It emerged on Thursday evening that the National Unity Party (UBP)-Democratic Party (DP) coalition was ready but that the UBP leader Faiz Sucuoğlu was waiting for Ankara’s approval.

Kıbrıs Postası claimed that Sucuoğlu had presented his cabinet to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Thursday but was instructed by Tatar to consult with Ankara before he signed off on it. Yenidüzen on Thursday confirmed that Sucuoğlu had visited the Turkish Ambassador to the north Ali Murat Başçeri but embassy sources announced that it was out of the question for Ankara to ‘approve’ or ‘reject’ the Turkish Cypriot government’s cabinet.

The same sources said that Sucuoğlu had exchanged views with the Turkish ambassador regarding how to proceed with economic matters once the government was established.

Main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MPs Erkut Şahali and Doğuş Derya slammed Sucuoğlu on Thursday for allegedly seeking approval for his cabinet. In separate social media posts, both Şahali and Derya said the new UBP-DP government was to be established “upon orders and approval from the Turkish Embassy,” adding that there will be plenty of orders raining down from Ankara which is to be executed in the coming period.

Sucuoğlu in a statement late Thursday refuted the claims and said he wanted to assess the current economic and fiscal situation with subject-matter experts at the Turkish Embassy in view of the 2021-2022 budget reports he was given by the finance ministry.

“I believe it is only natural for me to assess the current situation before we take steps to improve the economy,” Sucuoğlu said, adding that the smear campaign in the media would not deter him from his efforts.

In the meantime, the UBP’s proposal-to-be-submitted on split voting generated mixed reactions from the other political parties in the north.

Speaking to Turkish news agency TAK on the issue, CTP General Secretary Erdoğan Sorakın and Rebirth Party (YDP) General Secretary Enver Öztürk said the ‘split voting’ in the elections should be scrapped, whereas People’s Party (HP) General Secretary Gülşah Sanver Manavoğlu and the leader of the Social Democratic Party (TDP) Cemal Özyiğit said there is not enough time to make the necessary amendments to the elections law before the elections.

Sorakın in his remarks reminded that nearly 21 per cent of the voters opted for a split vote in the 2018 elections, however, 11 per cent of those were rendered invalid due to the complexity of the voting process. “We believe the people should vote for the political parties, not the candidates,” he said, adding that the CTP believes the split voting should be revoked.

Echoing similar views, YDP’s General Secretary Öztürk said if there was enough time to make the necessary amendments in time for the January 9 election if the will existed.

HP General Secretary Manavoğlu argued the opposite, stating that the target date could not be reached. She also said it is not possible for the draft bill to be prepared in time, put it to deliberations at the parliamentary subcommittee and get it approved before the election bans come into force. “The bait on split voting was thrown in the air by the UBP party assembly to divert the country’s attention from the other developments within the UBP,” Manavoğlu argued.

Echoing similar views, the TDP leader Cemal Özyiğit argued there is not enough time to discuss and implement amendments to the election law. He reminded that there are six political parties in the parliament and the matter should first be discussed in an ad-hoc committee with representation from all the political parties.


Tatar: TCs should be given properties in the north for what they’ve left in the south

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory

OVERVIEW

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Thursday reiterated his view that the Turkish Cypriots, who had left properties in the south, should be entitled to equivalent properties in the north.

During meeting with Taner Derviş, who served as the former director of the Evkaf Administration of Cyprus and who is the head of the association dealing with people who left properties in the south as a result of the conflict, Tatar noted that he will work to protect the rights of the people with properties left in the south.

“Even though people might have a yearning for their villages, no one in the north wants to return to their properties in the south,” Tatar claimed, adding that it is very important for the people to be given properties in exchange for what they had left in the south.

Tatar during the meeting reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot state will continue to live on with the two-state solution model. He also argued that it is not possible to reach a federal settlement with the Greek Cypriot side, which does not even accept Turkish Cypriots’ political equality.

KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> TCs who left the property in the south should be entitled to equivalent properties in the north.
>> Majority of TCs have no intention of returning to their properties in the south.
>> TC state will continue to exist with the two-state solution model.


Çavuşoğlu: Out of the question for Turkey to take a step back in East Med

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Thursday reiterated it was out of the question for Ankara to take backward steps in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Addressing the Turkish Parliament’s Planning and Budgetary Commission on his ministry’s 2022 budget, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara is protecting the legitimate rights and interests of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in the region based on international law.

“We have without hesitation responded to Greek and Greek Cypriot duo’s steps against us in the field whilst keeping the channels for dialogue open,” Çavuşoğlu said. He noted that the proposal to hold a regional hydrocarbons conference is also still on the table.

Çavuşoğlu also noted that Ankara has relaunched the exploratory talks with Athens believing that the two sides can overcome their differences through constructive dialogue. The Turkish foreign minister also underlined Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot side are on the same wavelength regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem.

“The two-state solution with preconditions of sovereign equality and equal international status was last tabled during the Cyprus conference in Geneva,” Çavuşoğlu said. He also noted that Ankara will continue to support the process of reopening the fenced-off town of Maraş (Varosha).

KEY ACTORS
Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)
>> Out of the question for Turkey to take a step back in East Med.
>> Ankara is protecting the legitimate rights & interests of Turkey & TCs in the East Med on basis of international law.
>> Proposal to hold a regional conference still valid.
>> Ankara & TC side on the same wavelength regarding the solution of the Cyprob.
>> Ankara will continue to support the process of reopening the fenced-off town of Maraş (Varosha).


A TC worker dies in a workplace accident in the south


Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security

OVERVIEW

A 61-year-old Turkish Cypriot worker died in a workplace accident in a construction site in the Strovolos district of south Nicosia on Thursday.

Citing Greek Cypriot media news, the Turkish Cypriot dailies reported that the Turkish Cypriot worker who fell off scaffolding on a construction he was working on was taken to the Nicosia general hospital after the accident, however, could not be saved despite all the efforts.

An autopsy will be carried out to identify the cause of death, the dailies concluded.


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