Serdar Denktash preparing to run for Turkish Cypriot leader

Serdar Denktash, son of former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Raif Denktash, is preparing to run in the next elections for the north’s leadership, reports said on Thursday.

Denktash and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat both placed the blame for the failure to achieve a Cyprus solution on the Greek Cypriot side, and the outgoing leadership in the government-controlled areas.

In comments to Kibris Postasi, Denktash said he had started organising for the next ‘presidential elections’ in the north.

Commenting on the state of politics in the north, Denktash said: “There are works directed from afar and moving forward. […] We have reached the bottom. When we think about where we’ve been and where we’ve come, it’s hard not to feel sad.”

Regarding the recent ‘municipal’ elections in the north, which saw main opposition CTP take a sweeping majority of the positions, Denktash said that he and his party, DP, mostly supported the left parties, but that did not mean they necessarily agreed with them.

Denktash said it could be inferred from this support to left parties that he ‘wants the federation’ as a solution to the Cyprus problem, but he added: “I do not support the federation. The Greek Cypriot administration of southern Cyprus has proven that it is not willing to see such an integration.”

Also, Denktash expressed the view that the position of two equal sovereign states was not possible under these conditions, but emphasised the importance of reaching a comprehensive agreement, saying: “One must form a unity that eliminates the mistakes of both sides. […] If this is achieved, the world will try to listen to us with more open ears.”

Meanwhile in comments to Star Kibris, former Turkish Cypriot leader Talat also condemned the Greek Cypriot stance and especially outgoing president Nicos Anastasiades.

Regarding the Cyprus problem and the way Anastasiades handled negotiations, he said: “He cannot confess, he will feel embarrassed even in his grave. He turned the tables on the Cyprus problem that reached its final stage. Lying on top of it. Even the church cannot take his confession.”

Commenting on the presidential candidate who is ahead the polls in the government-controlled areas, Diko, Edek, and Depa backed Nikos Christodoulides, Talat said that Christodoulides, a former Disy member and Anastasiades government spokesperson, had said he was ready to accept the Guterres framework agreed at the failed Crans-Montana talks on the Cyprus problem in 2017.

However, Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos was on Sigma TV denying any chance that Christodoulides would accept the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ framework to return to negotiations.