Turkish Cypriot parties sign pact for coalition government that excludes leading party

NICOSIA

Four Turkish Cypriot political parties signed a protocol to form a coalition government on Feb. 1.

The move comes after Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı passed on the mandate to form a government to Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhurman, who came second in the Jan. 7 election.

For the coalition deal, Erhurman met with People’s Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay, Communal Democracy Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit, and Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktaş.

After the four party leaders and their teams finalize the coalition government, they are expected to present the cabinet to Akıncı on Feb. 2, Erhurman told the signing ceremony.

“This is not just a coalition protocol on four parties ruling a country. It is a coalition protocol based on four parties ruling together with our people, without excluding or factionalizing any part of our people,” Erhurman said.

In the Jan. 7 snap election, no party won enough votes to rule single-handedly, but Hüseyin Özgürgün’s National Unity Party (UBP) gained the most votes with 35.6 percent.

The UBP won 21 seats in parliament, while the CTP got 12 seats with 17 percent of the vote.

In addition, the People’s Party (HP) got nine seats, the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) and Democratic Party (DP) three seats each, and the Rebirth Party (YDP) two seats.

Some 26 of the parliament’s 50 seats are needed to form a coalition, and the party with the mandate needs to form one within 15 days.

Since the last general elections took place in January 2013, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has had three coalition governments led by three different prime ministers.

Last November, the Turkish Cypriot parliament passed a motion calling for early elections. Under the motion, general elections originally planned for July 2018 were moved ahead by seven months to Jan. 7.