Northern Cyprus: Presidency of Turkey-backed Ersin Tatar and a short history

Tatar visited Erdoğan beffore the election (Photo: AA)

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Ersin Tatar, the prime minister and the National Unity Party (UBP) chair has won the election for the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Tatar, who supports a two-state system on the Mediterranean island, got about 52 percent of the votes. Mustafa Akıncı, the incumbent president and an independent candidate, got 48 percent of the votes.

The race of "two states" and "one federal state"

Tatar's victory came amid the drilling crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece.

Akıncı was trying to unite with Southern Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus). Turkey's government was critical of his policies.

Akıncı: "A federal partnership"

During his election campaign, Akıncı had said it was clear that "the recognition of the TRNC was not possible in the foreseeable future."

"I'm not after cementing the status quo by chasing the impossible," he had said and noted that either the two sides would reach an agreement or the division of the island would become stronger and Northern Cyprus' dependence on Turkey would increase.

"We neither want to be a minority of the South nor a sub-administration that is always dependent on Turkey," he had remarked.

Tatar: "A two-state solution"

Tatar, on the other hand, had said before the election that his purpose would be to convince the international community for a two-state solution in Cyprus.

"There are two separate states in Cyprus, this is the essence of the matter. As no one is powerful enough to destroy this state, this state won't disappear regardless of the essence of the matter. Any agreement that doesn't include this state is null and void. You can't destroy this state," he had remarked.

Thanks to Erdoğan

After yesterday's election, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Tatar.

"Turkey would continue every effort to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people," he said on Twitter.

Tatar also thanked Erdoğan in his first speech after the election and said, "We deserve our sovereignty. We are the voice of the Cypriot Turks."

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"We fight for existence in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. For this reason, our neighbors in the south and the world community should respect our struggle for freedom ... Because we deserve it," he remarked last night.

Akıncı wishes good luck to people after "abnormal" elections

Akıncı congratulated Tatar after the election and said, "We went through an election contest that was not normal. These results indicate the end of my 45-year political career. I wish good luck to our people."

Before the elections, Akıncı said during a live broadcast that he was threatened by authorities in Turkey not to become a candidate.

When asked whether he was suggested not to compete in the election by Turkey's authorities, he told TV2020 that "Yes, they even did that. You know, there are authorities that have deep relationships and rule Turkey."

"Through my principal clerk, it was conveyed to me that it would be better for me and my family if I wouldn't become a candidate. I invited the Ambassador of Turkey to get an explanation about this but Ankara decided that he wouldn't come to my office," he said.

Turkey's embassy in Nicosia denied Akıncı's claims.

Notes about Cyprus

In the Republic of Cyprus, which was founded in 1960, both communities had the right of representation in all institutions (70 percent for Greeks and 30 percent for Turks).

Cyprus has been divided since 1974. Two-thirds of the island is governed by Greeks. It is internationally recognized as the Republic of Cyprus and a member of the European Union.

The northern part of the island, which is called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) by the Turks, is a country with a population of 300,000 and is only recognized by Turkey.

Northern Cyprus reopened the abandoned town of Varosha (Maraş) before the first round of the election.

"Peace" operations

On Turkey's 2019 military operation into northern Syria, which was dubbed as the "Operation Peace Spring," Akıncı had said, "Although we call it the Peace Operation, what happened in 1974 was a war and there was bloodshed. Now, even though we call it the Peace Spring, what flows is not water but blood."

Tatar had responded to him, saying that it was "surprising" to compare the two operations. Northern Cyprus wouldn't have existed without the 1974 operation, he had said.

About Ersin Tatar

Politician and media owner from Northern Cyprus.

He worked at the UK office of the Price Waterhouse audit firm between 1982-1991 and received the title of a chartered accountant.

Until he founded the first private TV channel, Kanal T, of Northern Cyprus in 1996, Tatar worked in different firms in the UK and Turkey, including working as the general coordinator at Show TV in Istanbul between 1992-2001.

In 2003, Tatar returned back to his country and started his political life at the UBP. He was elected as Lefkosa deputy of the party in snap general elections on April 19, 2009.

He was appointed as finance minister on May 4, 2009, during Dervis Eroglu's rule and resumed the post under the Irsen Kucuk government starting on May 27, 2010.

He was once again elected as Lefkosa deputy of the UBP in the 2013 snap general elections and he served as the head of the Economy, Finance, Budget, and Planning Committee in the 8th period.

For the third time, Tatar was elected as Lefkosa deputy of the UBP in the 2018 snap general elections. The same year, he also became the party chair following his rival Huseyin Ozgurgun's withdrawal from the race in the second round.

Last year in May, he became the prime minister of the country to lead the coalition government of the UBP and the People's Party (HP).

Tatar was born in Lefkosa in 1960. He attended high school in the UK and graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Cambridge University in 1982. (PT/VK)