New chance for a united Cyprus?
Northern Cyprus is poised for a change of government: in presidential elections on Sunday, Tufan Erhürman, an opposition politician belonging to the social democratic Republican Turkish Party (CTP), won a clear victory against the current president of the unrecognised republic, Ersin Tatar, who is close to Turkish President Erdoğan. Erhürman wants a rapprochement with the EU and a resumption of negotiations over the Cyprus issue.
Hope after eight years of standstill
Naftemporiki describes the winner:
“An academic and former 'prime minister' of the pseudo-state, Erhürman adopted a rhetoric of moderation, dialogue and distance from Ankara from the outset. During the campaign he emphasised the need for 'respect and equality' in relations with Turkey, as well as a return to the negotiating table with the aim of establishing a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. This message resonated with a society weary of Tatar's policies and Ankara's growing influence over the internal affairs of the Turkish Cypriots. The election could break the diplomatic deadlock that has persisted since [the failure of the 2017 UN negotiations in] Crans-Montana.”
Resistance to the two-state solution
Finally there is hope, writes Politis:
“The Turkish Cypriots have clearly rejected the two-state solution and resisted attempts to completely alter their secular identity. The landslide victory of the opposition leader in the occupied territories, with the election of the president of the Republican Turkish Party, Tufan Erhürman, as leader of the Turkish Cypriots (with 62 percent against his opponent's 35 percent), represents a commitment by the Turkish Cypriots that pertains to all areas of their lives, including everyday issues and the central issue, which is clearly the Cyprus question.”