Filenews 27 December 2022
The result of the "municipal elections" is a new "strong message" from Turkish Cypriot politicians to Ankara and its political representatives in the occupied territories, Turkish Cypriot columnists and journalists argue. According to their opinion, on Sunday, the majority of Turkish Cypriot "voters", reacting to Turkey's involvement in the internal affairs of their community, sent the message that they decide on local issues themselves.
Turkish Cypriot columnists, analyzing the results of the "municipal elections", focus on the failure of the "government" alliance, which maintains close cooperation with Ankara. At the same time, they attach importance to the small but remarkable strengthening of the percentages of the parties of the Turkish Cypriot Left.
It is also noteworthy that the settlers, in various areas of the occupied territories, in Sunday's "election" contest, chose to support the "candidates" of the Turkish Cypriot Left and not the personalities who cooperate with Ankara.
Why did he lose the CEC?
Sharing his opinion on the results of the "municipal elections" with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), journalist Vatan Mehmet puts forward the view that the new political associations in the Turkish Cypriot community reveal once again the ignorance of the representatives of the Turkish government in the occupied territories regarding Turkish Cypriot policy.
According to the journalist, ignoring the previous examples and results of the "elections", Ankara's representatives insist on not taking into account the local character of the "municipal elections" in the occupied territories. Unlike the "presidential" or "parliamentary", in the "local elections" Turkish Cypriots do not vote based on developments in the Cyprus problem or the "high political agenda", but on the personalities and proposals submitted by the candidates to improve the conditions of everyday life at local level.
For this reason, according to Mr. Mehmet, "the strategy of implementing the policy of general elections in local elections is a 'bad' strategy." This is because, "traditionally, Turkish Cypriot voters send Turkey the message that 'we did what you said in the presidential and general elections. But we will support the opposition at the local level.'"
At the political party level, Mr. Mehmet focuses on the failure of the largest Turkish Cypriot party, the National Unity Party (NHR), attaching particular importance to the split within the party. Thus, in the case of occupied Nicosia, the consequences of the recent congress for the emergence of the new leadership of the party "star" in the new "electoral failure". A similar picture stands out in the case of the occupied "municipalities" of Famagusta and Kyrenia. Moreover, the CEC leadership bitterly understood on Sunday night, e.g. in the case of Kythraia, that the "buy-out" of voters with "monetary gifts" does not yield the expected results.
Finally, Mr. Mehmet adds that settlers in many areas supported the candidates of the Republican Turkish Party (PTK) and the Turkish Left. It also rules out the possibility of early 'parliamentary elections'.
The rise of the PTK
The strengthening of the PTK's position, to the detriment of the CEC and the Turkish Cypriot political forces that maintain close cooperation with Ankara, is the focus of the former director of "Yeni Duzen", Genk Mutluyakali, according to which the percentage of the largest party of the Turkish Cypriot Left on Sunday night increased from 31.9% to 35.4%. The percentage of SPS decreased from 39.6% to 35.8%.
According to the columnist, all parties of the triple "government" alliance lost votes in the "municipal elections". Both the Democratic Party (DK) and the Renaissance Party (CA) saw a notable decline. At the same time, a new "dip" was noted by the People's Party (LK) of Kudret Ozersay, which is now fighting for survival.
New leader of the Turkish Cypriot Left?
In the case of the second largest party of the Turkish Left, the Community Democracy Party (CPR), the columnist of "Yeni Duzen", Serhat Injirli, focuses on increasing the movement's percentages and attaches particular importance to the re-election of Mehmet Harmanji as the "mayor" of Nicosia.
According to Mr. Injirli, in the shadow of the new "electoral" results, Mr. Harmanji emerges as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot Left. And possibly, in the near future, Mr. Harmanji's name will be heard for the position of leader of the CPR, which about seven years ago elected Mustafa Akinci to the leadership of the Turkish Cypriots.
At the same time, Mr. Injirli adds that another member of the movement, despite failing to be "elected" to the post of "mayor" of Kyrenia, made a remarkable progress. This is Zeki Tzeler, who came third by a narrow margin in the "electoral race" of Kyrenia.
