Turkish Cypriots react to loss of MEP seat
Turkish Cypriots on Monday started to react to the loss of their sole MEP Niyazi Kizilyurek, who failed to win re-election on Sunday.
Among the first to react was journalist Cenk Mutluyakali, who in a column in newspaper Yeni Duzen pointed out the exceptionally low turnout – around five per cent – among Turkish Cypriots in Sunday’s election and drew parallels with last year’s ‘parliamentary’ by-election, where turnout was just shy of 30 per cent.
“Ultimately, the masses who did not go to the polls even in their own villages, neighbourhoods, or towns, were extremely lazy in voting by taking to the roads and passing their nearest checkpoint,” he said.
Speaking on the results at large, he said, “the result was that populism, extreme nationalism, and a-politicisation came to the fore in the south. In the north, we are left alone again.
“We will continue to be alienated and destroyed with a mentality which is isolating, divisive, and devoid of global values. We will be lost unless we take a much more inclusive, brave, creative, and determined stance,” he said.
Cyprus Turkish public servants’ trade union (Ktams) chairman Guven Bengihan was scathing of the Turkish Cypriot electorate, saying on Kibris Postasi TV that Turkish Cypriots had not carried out their “civic duty”.
“The south of Cyprus does not take the north of Cyprus into consideration and will not take it into consideration at all after these elections.”
He added, “we did not even use our right to vote. All parties and organisations must take responsibility. Turkish Cypriots have become a minority in this country and are heading towards extinction.”
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot pollster Ahmet Aslim wrote in newspaper Ozgur Gazete that there were two reasons for the Turkish Cypriots’ low turnout.
The first, he said, was that “the number of citizens of the Republic of Cyprus in the north of Cyprus has now decreased. The voters who appear [on the electoral roll] to be here are not actually here any more. They are looking for their future elsewhere.”
He said the other reason was that the candidates and their teams “did not find any response in society”.