Who’s the real target of politician’s arrest in north?

Arrest seen as a stark message to the Turkish Cypriots as well as Kurds living in northern Cyprus

By Esra Aygin

The Turkish Cypriot community was shocked and outraged earlier this week when a senior member of the ruling Republican Turkish Party CTP, was arrested along with her daughter for “membership in a terrorist organisation” and “possession of provocative and propaganda publications of a terrorist organisation”.

The 48-year-old Bengul Garginsu, who is of Kurdish origin and has been living in Cyprus for almost 30 years, and her daughter were released on Thursday pending the outcome of the trial. They are banned from leaving the country.

The only ‘evidence’ police found at the house of Garginsu were books by some Kurdish politicians and writers including Selahattin Demirtas and Gulten Kisanak, and Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik. Police also took from Garginsu’s house a chest decorated with a star, which they claim resembles the symbol of PKK – the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is outlawed in Turkey and in the northern part of Cyprus.

All the books found at Garginsu’s house are readily available in bookstores. Although it was previously reported that a book by the imprisoned militant Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was also found in Garginsu’s possession, it later emerged that this was incorrect.

The charges are based on the Penal Law, an ancient colonial law dating back to 1933, which stipulates that anyone in possession of a publication of an illegal organisation is considered a member of that organisation until proven otherwise.

Meanwhile, some reports emerged after the arrests that police essentially went after Garginsu and her daughter in connection with graffiti they allegedly inscribed in support of a Kurdish lawmaker, Leyla Guven, during the march on International Women’s Day in Nicosia last week.

Garginsu’s lawyer Urun Solyali, who spoke to the Sunday Mail, confirmed the allegations.

“It’s true,” said Solyali. “The leading motivation for the police was a banner or graffiti.” Solyali stated however that police did not make any claims before court regarding the content of the banner or graffiti. The only charge brought in connection with it was “intentional damage” to property, he said.

Leyla Guven of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party HDP has been on a hunger strike for more than 125 days over the prison conditions of Ocalan. Many March 8 International Women’s Day demonstrations throughout Turkey witnessed messages of support for Guven.

Many Turkish Cypriots, including opinion leaders, politicians, journalists and lawyers protested the detentions, questioning how possession of books could be linked to terrorism and expressing concern about basic rights and freedoms in the northern part of Cyprus.

The strong reaction prompted Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to make a statement.

“There is increasing concern among our people that the freedoms are being restricted,” said Akinci. “It should never be forgotten that violence does not grow in environments of freedom and democracy but of oppression and authoritarianism… Establishing a direct relationship between terrorism, violence and book readership is creating a huge distortion in people’s perception of freedom.”

While some see this move by the police, which is under the ultimate control of Turkish military chief of staff in Ankara, as a stark message to the Kurds living in Cyprus, who enjoy a relatively free climate to express themselves, others believe the message is to CTP and to the Turkish Cypriot community as a whole.

The incident is especially embarrassing for CTP since it is the senior partner of the ruling coalition. Garginsu is a member of CTP’s Party Assembly, which is the party’s administrative organ, as well as the administrative board of the Nicosia district.

“This incident may constitute a message to Kurds to be careful ahead of Newroz celebrations; to CTP to not mingle so much with Kurds; to the Turkish Cypriot people that they may be declared members of a terrorist organisation any time if they are not careful,” said senior researcher Mete Hatay at Peace Research Institute Oslo PRIO’s Cyprus Centre.

“And it is not really possible to separate one message from another and say ‘this’ is the reason. But one thing is clear: This is aimed at intimidation. And it is a sign that the democratic, tolerant, pluralistic environment that has prevailed in the north despite all the problems an

d challenges, is under threat.”

Unlike Turkey, there are no political prisoners or imprisoned journalists in the northern part of Cyprus. “This is a sign that all this may change unless people show strong resistance,” Hatay said.

This is not the first time police in the northern part of Cyprus have detained Kurds – mostly students and workers – for possession of certain books or even listening to certain songs.

“However, it is the first time a Turkish Cypriot citizen has been arrested, and this is why alarm bells are ringing,” said Hatay. “Everyone is questioning how far things will go.”

https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/03/17/whos-the-real-target-of-politicians-arrest-in-north/

Turkey piles on the pressure (The Cyprus Weekly, 19 February 2016)

By Esra Aygin

The relations between Turkey and the north turned sour once again during the past week after the Turkish government mounted pressure on Turkish Cypriots to accept its terms for the operation of water from Turkey whilst also repeating its demand that some 10,000 Turks living on the island to be naturalised.

Following tense negotiations in Ankara over the management of water reaching the island through a trans-Mediterranean pipeline, Turkish Cypriot “prime minister” Omer Kalyoncu implied that the water will not be delivered unless Turkey’s terms are accepted, and complained of the oppressive treatment of his “ministers” during the meetings.

“Turkish Cypriot ministers had to deal with Turkish deputy undersecretaries who sat opposite them. This is a problem. The treatment we were faced with in Ankara indicates why this process did not lead to a positive conclusion,” said Kalyoncu.

The draft agreement reached in Ankara, which envisages the operation of the water by a private company, has once again been rejected by the CTP party assembly, as well as many political parties and non-governmental organisations in the north mainly on grounds that it bypasses municipalities.

In a separate development that added fuel to the flames, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly lambasted visiting Turkish Cypriot officials for not naturalising some 10,000 Turks, who have gained the right to apply for and receive Turkish Cypriot citizenship.

“Why are you not granting the citizenships? You have to take the necessary steps,” Erdogan was quoted by Turkish daily Milliyet as saying.

Under the current Turkish Cypriot citizenship law, anyone – who has been living in the northern part of the island legally for at least five years – is entitled to apply for and receive citizenship.

However, The Turkish Cypriot administration has halted the granting of citizenships except for births and marriages since Republican Turkish Party CTP came to the “government” as the major coalition partner in 2013.

This is not the first time the citizenship issue was raised by Turkish authorities.

During his visit to the north in December, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reportedly asked citizenships to be granted to some 26,500 Turks.

It is understood that Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party AKP, which held an election campaign in the northern part of Cyprus too ahead of the November general elections in Turkey, made a promise to the Turks on the island that their citizenship problem would be solved.

The reiteration of this demand prompted Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to make a public statement.

“I have never approved the mass granting of citizenships and there is no harm in saying this,” said Akinci. “There is a negotiation process that I am carrying out based on the formal citizenship data. These data include all our citizens. I cannot keep changing the data on the table.”

It remains to be seen how the latest standoff between Turkey and Turkish Cypriots will end. The Turkish Cypriot administration has limited room to manoeuvre however, as it economically depends on Turkey.

“Unfortunately as Turkish Cypriots, we have an unhealthy relationship with Turkey,” said CTP “parliamentarian” Armagan Candan. And this fact, which arises from being economically dependent on Turkey, slaps us in the face especially during sensitive times as these.”

http://in-cyprus.com/turkey-piles-on-the-pressure/

'Sleeping with the devil' (The Cyprus Weekly, 19 July 2015)

By Esra Aygin

In a very controversial move, former Turkish Cypriot Leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s Republican Turkish Party CTP partnered up with its arch rival – the nationalist, conservative National Unity Party UBP –this week to form the ‘government’ in the occupied north.

The names of the council of ministers of the CTP-UBP administration was submitted to ‘president’ Mustafa Akinci by the new ‘prime minister’ Ömer Kalyoncu on Wednesday and the coalition protocol was signed by two party leaders, Talat and Hüseyin Özgürgün.

Former ‘prime minister’ Özkan Yorgancioglu had submitted the resignation of the CTP-Democratic Party DP ‘government’- in office since September 2013-on July 3 after Talat replaced him as party leader during a CTP party congress on June 14.
Akinci gave the mandate to form a new ‘government’ to Talat’s close ally Ömer Kalyoncu on July 6. Talat cannot become ‘prime minister’ since he is not an MP.

CTP has come under widespread criticism for partnering up with UBP – the party founded in 1975 by the late Rauf Denktaş and which is seen as the creator and the guardian of the corrupt system in the Turkish-held north of Cyprus.

It is the first time CTP and UBP have formed a coalition in the political history of Turkish Cypriots. In discussions on social media, some members and supporters of CTP accused the party of betraying its values and past for the sake of remaining in power. The partnership has even been likened to ‘sleeping with the devil.’

“When parties,which define themselves as left, social democrat, consider a coalition with right parties that have ruled the country for many years, they have to remember one thing,” wrote journalist Sinan Dirlik in Yenidüzen.

“Partnerships with parties that have governed this country for a long time and have gotten involved in corruption up to the hilt are no different than sleeping with the devil. It may be exciting… but always ends in regret.”

There are some analysts however, who see this far-fetched partnership as a good chance for Cyprus, arguing that this kind of a ‘grand coalition’ that is in support of the negotiations for the reunification of the island and the solution process would minimise the voice of rejectionists and ensure social unity behind a future agreement.

In fact, according to a senior CTP official, the ‘government program’ which the two parties are still working on, expresses full support to the negotiations process, as well as a solution based on the February 11 Joint Declaration, which states that a settlement in Cyprus will be based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, and that a united Cyprus shall have a single international legal personality, a single sovereignty, and a single united Cyprus citizenship.

CTP is very determined to carry out a number of bold economic, social and public administration reforms the senior official told the Cyprus Weekly.

These reforms include bringing the Turkish Cypriot police, which is currently under the command of the Turkish army, under civilian control, the official said.

He added that the new ‘coalition government’ will behave like a ‘single-party reform government.’ CTP and UBP will together have 39 seats in the 50-seat ‘parliament.’

CTP Secretary-General Tufan Erhürman, responding to comments that UBP could not be trusted to stay loyal to the government program, stated earlier this week that a wide-based, strong government such as the CTP-UBP coalition is necessary to bring about the radical changes that they seek.

“UBP has agreed with us on the principles we put forward… If we see that they are not acting in line with these principles, we will not hesitate to break the coalition,” Erhürman said.

It remains to be seen whether UBP will keep to its promises and cooperate with CTP in making important reforms, but political analysts close to the party state that the main reason UBP leader Hüseyin Özgürgün got into this coalition is the October party congress, where his leadership is likely to be challenged.

Özgürgün wants to consolidate his position by bringing his party into power through this coalition and handing out ministries and other top positions to influential names within the party to gain their support for the October 14 race, a source said.

http://in-cyprus.com/sleeping-with-the-devil/

Article - Was constitutional referendum a rehearsal of possible settlement referendum? (Published in Greek in 24h on 13 July 2014)

Was constitutional referendum a rehearsal of possible settlement referendum?

On 29 June, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) did not only suffer a huge wound by losing the three biggest cities – Nicosia, Famagusta and Kyrenia - in the local elections, but was also shaken by the rejection of a set of constitutional amendments that it advocated strongly. The amendments were submitted to a referendum on the same day as the local elections.  

The constitution of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” adopted in 1985, is a shameful copy of the 1982 constitution of Turkey – the product of the 12 September 1982 military coup. For the first time in almost 30 years, some changes – albeit small – were made through the efforts of mainly the CTP deputies and adopted unanimously by all the parties in parliament – the bigger party of the ruling coalition CTP, the smaller party of the ruling coalition right-wing Democratic Party (DP), main opposition right wing National Unity Party (UBP), and the left-wing Social Democracy Party (TDP).

The proposed amendments had initially called for the lifting of temporary article 10 - which is the legal basis for the Turkish Cypriot police to be under the control of the Turkish military, and the introduction of conscientious objection. However, CTP could not get the required support in parliament to go ahead with these changes and therefore, limited the amendments to some 20 articles. 

Although the amendments, which among others, introduced children’s rights, limited the immunity of politicians, improved fundamental rights, and lifted the political ban on civil servants, were adopted unanimously by all the parties in parliament, they were rejected by 65% in the referendum.  

Two major factors seem to have played an important role in the rejection of the constitutional amendments. First is the radical approach of the left-wing parties and non-governmental organisations, which criticised the amendments for being “cosmetic” and not touching on the substantial provisions – such as the temporary article 10.

The second, and the scarier, is the undercover, ear-to-ear no-campaign led by hardliner Turkish Cypriot leader Derviş Eroğlu, who has a significant influence on both UBP and DP, and the supporters of his ideology.

Although the more optimistic in the northern part of Cyprus would argue that the ‘no’ vote is the victory of the radical left, a strong message of rejection of the status quo and the 1985 constitution, I fear that this referendum was a rehearsal of the nationalist guardians of the status quo, to test the grounds. And I fear very much that this method of undercover campaigning against a unanimously adopted text, tested and proven to be successful, can be put to work during a possible referendum for a federal settlement in Cyprus.

Those, against the reunification of Cyprus through a federal solution know now that giving approval to a settlement text does not necessarily lead to a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum.

Article - CTP receives major blow in local elections (Published in Greek in 24h on 6 July, 2014)

CTP receives major blow in local elections

Last Sunday’s municipal elections dealt a huge blow to the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), the biggest pro-solution party in the northern part of Cyprus, and the outcome is expected to have major implications on April’s elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader. CTP, which held the municipalities in the three biggest cities in the northern part of Cyprus, lost all three.

A successful outcome in municipal elections would have considerably strengthened CTP, and served as a strong indication of people’s inclinations for the ‘presidential elections.’ CTP would have most probably nominated former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who has been open about his willingness to run again, and would had a good chance of coming out of the elections victorious.

However, to the amazement of many, CTP lost the ‘flagship’ Nicosia Turkish Municipality, as well as the Kyrenia and Famagusta Municipalities. The Kyrenia and Famagusta municipalities, which belonged to CTP for more than 15 years, were lost to candidates backed by hardliner Turkish Cypriot leader Derviş Eroğlu, and the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP) and the Democratic Party (DP).

Challenging times lie ahead of CTP officials not only because they will most probably be required to re-design their plans for the April elections in this new political atmosphere, but also because of the internal conflicts within the party. There are allegations that long-standing disagreements among party officials and the municipal candidates have grown into full-blown retaliation during the municipal elections and led to CTP’s defeat. Some party members are being accused of openly or secretly backing competing candidates. The party will also have to solve these internal conflicts, which were used very efficiently by the right-wing parties to defeat CTP, if it is to enter a healthy election period.

An important outcome of the local elections is the rise of veteran politician Mustafa Akıncı as a strong potential candidate for the ‘presidential elections’ after Social Democracy Party’s (TDP) Mehmet Harmancı won the Nicosia Turkish Municipality with almost 40 per cent of the votes. In the Turkish Cypriot political arena, a special importance has always been placed on who wins the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, with many arguing, often rightly so, that the Nicosia Turkish Municipality is a ‘flagship’ municipality and the party that wins it, has an advantage during the ensuing elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader.

It will be interesting to watch the developments in the run-up to the April elections.

Article - Municipal elections in the north (Published in Greek in 24h on 29 June 2014)

Municipal elections in the north

I don’t know if I am expected to write the word ‘municipal’ within quotation marks or insert the expression ‘so-called’ before it. I will do neither, because I refuse to submit to the official discourse of either side.

The status-quo in the northern part of Cyprus is unacceptable and the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” is a secessionist entity deemed legally invalid by international law. However, any group of people living at a certain place for one reason or another, have basic needs of housing, infrastructure, water network, sewage etc. that have to be fulfilled by local administrations. And I don’t believe that not using quotation marks when writing about the local administrations or municipalities in the north would make the said entity there more legal or acceptable.

That point aside, as you are reading this article today, Turkish Cypriots are going to polls to elect the people who will run the local administrations in the northern part of Cyprus for the next four years. And it is widely believed that the municipal elections on 29 June will also serve as a strong indication for next year’s elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader. People’s political party preferences will demonstrate whether the majority is leaning more towards the pro-settlement, pro-unification left parties or the pro-status-quo right parties. This therefore, will be considered an early sign for the election for the Turkish Cypriot leader in April 2015 – due in less than 10 months.  

Besides the overall results of the municipal elections, a special importance is placed on who will win the Nicosia Turkish Municipality. Many argue that the Nicosia Turkish Municipality is a ‘flagship’ municipality and the party that wins it will have advantage during the ensuing elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader.

Whether by coincidence or not, this argument was validated by the two most recent elections. When Mehmet Ali Talat became the Turkish Cypriot leader with an unprecedented %56 of the votes in April 2005, the pro-solution left-wing Republican Turkish Party (CTP) was holding the Nicosia Turkish Municipality. However, the  ‘flagship’ Nicosia Turkish Municipality was lost to Serdar Denktas’ Democratic Party in 2006, and Mehmet Ali Talat lost the Turkish Cypriot leadership to hardliner Dervis Eroglu in the elections in 2010. 

There surely are other factors involved in the election of the Turkish Cypriot leader. However, today’s elections will no doubt serve as an indication of the general tendency of the people living in the northern part of Cyprus and play an important role in the political parties’ plans for the upcoming April 2015 election.