Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel was reportedly in Ankara on Monday morning, with his political party the UBP in crisis, two days after holding a primary election to choose its candidates for December’s Turkish Cypriot legislative election, the results of which remain unclear.

While Ustel’s office did not confirm to the Cyprus Mail whether or not he had travelled to Ankara, media reports stated that he was at Ercan (Tymbou) airport on Sunday night, with opposition politicians quick to offer both criticism and ridicule for the timing of his reported trip.

The UBP has been in turmoil since Saturday, when a total of 17 objections were filed against the provisional results of the day’s primary elections and recounts were demanded, while ‘health minister’ Hakan Dincyurek resigned his post and withdrew his candidacy.

CTP leader Sila Usar Incirli, who looks likely to lead the next Turkish Cypriot administration after December’s election, according to polling, first criticised that “despite the serious arguments which took place [after Saturday’s vote], the UBP leadership has not yet issued a statement comprehensively addressing the questions raised by its members and the public”.

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“Furthermore, the fact that Ustel is reportedly going to Ankara before the results are even announced, if true, is incompatible with the respect which should be shown to the will of the UBP members,” she said.

HP leader Kudret Ozersay, meanwhile, jibed that “it seems that whenever things get chaotic and reach an impasse, you end up heading straight for Ankara”, before adding, “have a pleasant flight, Unal”.

Ozersay had served alongside Ustel in Ersin Tatar’s administration between 2019 and 2020, and resigned when Tatar made an unannounced trip to Ankara, during which he announced the opening of Varosha to tourists.

Yesilirmak pulls out of election race

Meanwhile, in Cyprus, sitting legislature member Emrah Yesilirmak announced on Sunday evening that he, too, intends to withdraw his candidacy for December’s elections, while also stressing that he believes that the provisional results published on Saturday were fabricated.

“I do not believe that the results, the numbers, or the names which have come out here are real. I say, let them be recounted. It is that simple … I will withdraw my candidacy. To be more extreme, I will withdraw even if I am in first place,” he told Haber Kibris Web TV.

Should Yesilirmak fail to win re-election, he will almost certainly be arrested, after the Turkish Cypriot chief public prosecutor’s office had filed a request to lift his immunity earlier this year over his alleged involvement in the “fake diploma scandal”, in which he allegedly received a counterfeit university degree.

However, on this front, sources close to the matter have suggested to the Cyprus Mail that Yesilirmak may relocate to Turkey so as to avoid arrest, as former ‘prime minister’ Huseyin Ozgurgun did in 2019.

Ustel critic Oktay Saral has been dismissed by Erdogan

Should Ustel have travelled to Ankara, he will find that one of his fiercest critics at Bestepe, Turkey’s presidential palace, to no longer be in a job, after Oktay Saral, a high-ranking advisor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was relieved of his duties over the weekend.

Middle East Eye reported that Saral was dismissed as part of Ankara’s efforts to smooth over its dispute with Azerbaijan, with a rift having emerged following Baku’s decision to ban the wearing of headscarves at public schools in the country.

Saral had last year offered terse criticism for Ustel when the Turkish Cypriot authorities attempted unsuccessfully to legalise the wearing of headscarves at public schools, describing him as a “bosbakan”, a play on the word “basbakan”, which means “prime minister” in Turkish, with “bos” meaning “empty”.

“The TRNC’s empty minister did not speak nicely, he just babbled on. Should the Imam be hostile towards the headscarf?” he began.

“What a shame, we could not save Cyprus from Greek Cypriot-ness”.

Back in Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot political parties have until the close of business on Tuesday at the latest to submit their lists of candidates, meaning that the UBP has just two days to resolve the disputes over Saturday’s election.