Turkish vice president receives Turkish Cypriot premier

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay received the prime minister of Turkish Cyprus at the presidential complex in capital Ankara.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was also present at the meeting between Oktay and Ersin Tatar, which reportedly lasted nearly one-and-half hours.

A common consensus was reached on speeding up efforts to reopen the abandoned town of Varosha (Maraş) in Turkish Cyprus as soon as possible, according to presidential sources.

“The common determination and cooperation on the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be maintained,” said a statement.

A 100-bed emergency pandemic hospital with high-tech equipment will be also built in Turkish Cyprus within the scope of combating COVID-19, according to the statement.

[HH] Collective visit sparks debate

Meanwhile, the leaders of the two right-wing parties represented in the Turkish Cypriot parliament accompanied Tatar during his Ankara visit triggered some debates on the island.

Democrat Party (DP) chair Fikri Ataoğlu and Rebirth Party (YDP) chair Erhan Arıklı traveled to Ankara together upon invitation, according to Turkish Cypriot media.

“This invitation before the presidential election is an open intervention to the political will of the Turkish Cypriot people,” said in a statement made by the main opposition the Republican Turkish Party (CTP).

“It is impossible to accept this intervention, which is obviously directed at both the government discussions and the presidential elections,” it said in the statement.

Speaking to Haber Kıbrıs on the allegation that a similar invitation was made to him but he refused, Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay noted that he did not go to Ankara because he thought such a visit was not suitable for such a short time before the elections.

Turkish Cypriots are going to hit the ballot boxes to elect the president for the coming five years on Oct. 11.

It has been spoken in Turkish Cyprus for a while that the government in the country is on a shaky ground due to a tension between the ruling National Unity Party (UBP) led by Tatar and the People’s Party (HP) led by Özersay.

UBP, YDP and DP, whose leaders have been invited to Ankara to build a new government instead of the existing one, must form a coalition.