Turkey-backed Prime Minister Ersin Tatar has won out over internationally-supported President Mustafa Akıncı in the presidential elections in the breakaway state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), a country founded after the Turkish intervention in the island in 1974 and has been only recognized by Turkey since then.
Due to the extraordinary meddling of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Turkish Cypriot elections, the real winner of the polls was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Leftist Akıncı was the favorite in the elections even if he garnered 29.8 percent of the vote in the first round behind Tatar who received 32.2 percent of the vote as center-left Tufan Erhürman, the candidate who came third with 21.7 percent of the vote, endorsed Akıncı for the second round.
Right-wing nationalist Tatar took the lead over incumbent Akıncı at the runoff vote by securing 51.74 percent of the vote, ahead of his rival who garnered 48.26 percent.
For many living in the isolated nation, Erdoğan played a big role in Akıncı’s defeat. Erdoğan intervened in the elections in many ways. That is why the elections were considered as a race between the Turkish president and the Turkish Cypriot president, a first in the history of the Turkish side in the separated island.
A higher turnout of 67 percent in the second round, with around extra 15,000 voters when compared to the first one, seemed to have played the biggest role in Tatar’s victory, which came with the extraordinary support by Erdoğan’s Turkey.
Turkish Embassy functions as election headquarters in favor of Tatar
Turkey’s Embassy in Lefkoşa (Nicosia) was reportedly used like an election headquarters during the election campaigns. A special group of 20 Turkish officials was formed to carry out election-related events, such as visits to villages to promote Tatar. Local reports said that the Turkish team especially focused on the settlements where Turkey-emigrated people mostly live, including Mağusa, İskele ve Karpaz. People are mostly in favor of nationalist Tatar in these cities where he received around 70 percent of the vote.
Further, members of Turkish parliament from AKP and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) frequently staged election rallies.
Voters recently emigrated from Turkey play role in election
Since 2015, Thirty-thousand people have reportedly been sent by Turkey to the KKTC since 2015 and been granted citizenship since then. For critics, this new population had also a crucial impact on the election results in the small country as they were able to vote.
Moreover, hundreds of other people could vote in the elections even if their citizenship was previously canceled with a court decision. The court ruling was overturned just two days before the elections, an act that allowed these disputed citizens to cast vote.
Considering the fact that Tatar’s lead over Akıncı was just around 5,000, the effect of the newly-added Turkish population on the results sinks in.
Reopening of abandoned Varosha city
Some part of coastal area of abandoned Varosha (Maraş) was another election-related act that came just days before the elections. The reopening decision was announced after a talk between Erdoğan and Tatar. The decision created tension in the isolated island since nobody, including president Akıncı, was informed beforehand.
In reaction, the coalition partner the People’s Party (HP) announced its withdrawal from Tatar’s government, claiming that Tatar was using the Varosha plan as an election strategy and had failed to inform state institutions of the decision.
The town had been abandoned since its Greek Cypriot inhabitants fled as Turkish troops took control at the end of a war between Greeks and Turks over the island, on August 13, 1974.
Water pipeline opened for the second time before elections
Again prior to the elections, a water pipeline carrying water to the KKTC from Turkey has also been used as an opportunity to create a positive image of Erdoğan and his ally Tatar in the eyes of Cypriot Turks. A malfunction occurred in December 2019 in the pipeline, however, had not been repaired until recently. The repair was quickly completed prior to the elections and an inauguration ceremony was staged for the reopening of the pipeline.
COVID-19
Another election-motivated act of Turkey was a recent construction of a hospital for the care of COVID-19 patients. The hospital was built in two months and opened before the elections which swayed the public opinion in favor of Tatar, effacing the traces of resentment over Turkey’s failure to provide aid to the KKTC during the first wave of the pandemic. Akıncı had to ask for help from the European Union which sent medical supplies worth 5 million Euros.
Erdoğan accuses Akıncı of treason
Hasan Kahveci, a Cypriot journalist, told the Ahval news website that president Akıncı could not have fair coverage in the Cypriot media before the elections, while Turkey’s pro-Erdoğan media outlets, which were able to broadcast on the island, systematically accused him of betraying the Turkish Cypriot state.
Following the smear campaign against him, Akıncı had received many death threats. He prepared a dossier with those threats and summoned the Turkish Embassy to the presidency in order to present it. However, the Turkish ambassador to the KKTC did not answer Akıncı’s call.
Journalist Kahveci interpreted the election results as a “coup by Erdogan” and defined the Turkish Cypriot state as “Turkey’s backyard”.
While the KKTC is recognized only by Turkey, the Greek Cypriot state enjoys international recognition as the Republic of Cyprus, established in 1960. As a result, Northern Cyprus has faced a longstanding international embargo on commerce, transportation, and culture.
Akıncı was in favor of resolving all isolation-related problems through a federative solution, while Tatar favors a two-state solution.
The post [OPINION] Erdoğan scores a win in Turkish Cypriot elections appeared first on Turkish Minute.
from Turkish Minute https://www.turkishminute.com/2020/10/19/opinion-erdogan-scores-a-win-in-turkish-cypriot-elections/
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