Turkish Cypriots horrified by ouster of Turkish opposition leader

Turkish Cypriots of most political colours reacted with indignation and horror over the weekend after an Ankara court annulled the results of Turkey’s largest opposition political party the CHP’s 2023 party conference and thus removed party leader Ozgur Ozel from office.

Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci offered one of the most scathing critiques of the court’s decision, saying on Sunday that “in Turkey, the democratic structure had already fallen into a coma with its one-man regime, and now, it is about to take its last breath”.

“We Turkish Cypriots certainly do not have the power to influence processes in Turkey, but we have human dignity and a democratic culture. We cannot remain silent in the face of what is happening,” he said.

He added that “as long as the current status quo exists in Cyprus, the saying, ‘if Turkey catches a cold, we in Cyprus will catch pneumonia’ remains valid”.

“Therefore, if the already severely wounded Turkish democracy completely surrenders to the one-man regime, our airways will also be blocked in Cyprus. The more deeply rooted the antidemocratic one-man regime becomes in Turkey, the more the roots of Turkish Cypriots will wither,” he warned.

He said that the CHP’s “perspective on Cyprus” and “past attitudes” can “certainly be criticised”, but that “what is happening in Turkey right now is a problem for democracy which goes far beyond the CHP”.

“It is a matter of existing or not existing,” he said.

Serdar Denktash, the son of late influential Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, was curter in his assessment, saying that “what is happening in Turkey right now is neither in line with law, nor justice, nor democracy”.

“What good does it do to seize power using this method? It only serves to bring shame upon Ataturk’s republic in the eyes of the world. What a shame,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot opposition party CTP leader Sila Usar Incirli, meanwhile, confirmed that she had held a telephone conversation with Ozel, and the CTP said that during that call, “emphasis was placed on the importance of continuing the fight for democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and social justice on the basis of shared values”.

“The strengthening of this fight will be a significant mutual gain not only for Turkey and for northern Cyprus, but also for the entire region,” the party said.

Fellow Turkish Cypriot opposition party the TDP said that “democracy, the rule of law, and the will of the people are not only an internal matter for a country, but also of great importance for the common future of our region”.

The party called for “a Turkey where different views can be freely expressed, political competition is conducted on a democratic basis, and trust in the institutions is strengthened”, as this is “vital for both the Turkish people and for regional stability”.

The CHP’s party conference was annulled by a court in Ankara last Thursday, following the filing of a case by former Hatay mayor Lutfu Savas. Savas had been a member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party until 2014, when he joined the CHP. He left the CHP in 2024.

Thursday’s ruling annulled not only the election of Ozel as party leader, but every decision taken by the party in the intervening two and a half years, including its nomination of now jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as its candidate for president.

Additionally, 77-year-old Kemal Kilicdaroglu was, according to the court, reinstated as party leader, and also declared himself as such, travelling to the CHP’s party headquarters on Sunday and demanding to be let inside, being met there by thousands who had turned out to demonstrate against the decision and in favour of Ozel.

Kilicdaroglu, who during his 13 years as party leader led the party to four parliamentary election defeats and through four presidential elections which were each won by Erdogan, was joined by riot police, who stormed the building to excise Ozel from it, while also firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters who had barricaded its entrance.

He also demanded that all parties “comply with the requirements of the court decision” and threatened that “necessary measures will be taken against those who act contrary to this instruction”.

Inside the building, Ozel was served with a court paper demanding that he vacate the premises, and tore it up, before he and the protesters marched to Turkey’s parliament building.

“We are leaving now, only to reclaim this in such a way that no one will be able to meddle again. When we return, neither this administration nor its collaborators will dare to do this ever again,” he said.