Turkish Cypriot president pledges to act on FETÖ if evidence offered

Akıncı arrived in Ankara for an official visit and is due to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the presidential complex on Aug. 17. Before meeting with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on the same day, Akıncı visited the Turkish Parliament building, which was bombed during the July 15 uprising.

The main reason for his visit is the Cyprus issue, Akıncı told reporters after visiting the bombed parts of the parliament alongside Deputy Parliament Speaker Akif Hamzaçebi from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

 The U.N. General Assembly is set to gather in September and seven critical meetings will be held from Aug. 23 to Sept. 14 as part of the U.N.-led reunification talks on the Mediterranean island, Akıncı recalled, saying this is why there is a need to upgrade the close consultation process with Turkey.

The other reason for his visit is to offer condolences to Turkey over the July 15 coup attempt.

Asked whether there was any FETÖ activity in Turkish Cyprus or measures taken against this activity, Akıncı stressed the importance of evidence “in a democratic state governed by the rule of law.”

States governed by the rule of law must act upon information, document and data on these matters within the rules of a democratic state governed by the rule of law, he noted.

“No doubt, as a democratic state governed by the rule of law, the KKTC [the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] will also do what is necessary if it has documents, information or data in its hands,” Akıncı added.

“There is no room for the smallest doubt. Any tolerance is out of question. The tiniest hesitation cannot be in question. But what also matters is being very careful along these kinds of periods. There is a need to not throw out the baby with the bathwater,” he said.

“If the state of law incriminates even one innocent person by smearing him without sufficient information, then it takes a toll on its own norms and its own notion of democratic states of law,” added Akıncı.

“Let’s definitely address crime, criminals and terror, but while doing so let’s be careful to not make mistakes,” he said.