Turkish Cypriot parties set to form new coalition gov’t

NICOSIA – Anadolu Agency

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Two Turkish Cypriot political parties announced on April 15 that they are set to form a new coalition government, in the wake of the last government’s collapse earlier this month.

National Unity Party (UBP) Chairman Hüseyin Özgürgün said he has signed a protocol to form a new coalition with Serdar Denktaş, chair of the Democratic Party-National Forces (DP-UG).        

The planned coalition government protocol was scheduled to be submitted on April 16 to Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and the two parties will form a new government immediately after, said Özgürgün, who was authorized to form a new government on April 11.        

“The new government will continue to work with our president, all political parties and all sectors of society in harmony. I believe that we will be successful,” said the UBP chairman.        

Özgörgün is also expected to submit a cabinet list to Akıncı on April 16.        

As the UBP has 18 seats in the 50-seat Turkish Cypriot parliament and the Democratic Party-National Forces (DP-UG) has five, the coalition would be a 23-seat minority government dependent on support from the assembly’s four independent deputies to pass legislation.        

Serdar Denktaş, the prospective junior coalition partner leader, is the son of Rauf Denktaş, the late first president of Turkish Cyprus.        

The UBP, the last junior partner in the broad-based coalition with the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG), withdrew from the government on April 2. 

Akıncı gave a mandate to form a new government after returning from foreign visits.
      
Amid the change in government, Turkish Cyprus is in talks with the Greek Cypriot administration over a possible reunification agreement this year.        

In July 2015, the 18-seat UBP formed a coalition government with the CTP-BG, which has 20 seats in parliament.        

Rounding out the assembly are prospective junior coalition partner the DP-UG’s five deputies, the Communal Democracy Party’s (TDP) three and four independent deputies.