Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister and presidential candidate Kudret Özersay, has accused Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, who is also a candidate in the presidential elections, of making an announcement regarding opening the Maraş beachfront to the public, of trying to curry favour with the electorate.
Özersay, who made a statement on Cyprus Genç TV after the HP’s decision to withdraw from the government, stated that “I did not know that Tatar was going to Ankara during his previous visit.”
Özersay’s said the following:
“When I asked about his visit, he said he did not know what would happen with Maraş/Varosha, therefore the statement he made after his visit was unacceptable.
“There is no government alone here. There is a coalition government. Without the knowledge of the parties of this coalition government, it is unacceptable to answer as if they did not know when asked. How do presidential candidates ignore the institution of the state? What kind of coalition partner’s will is ignored? How can the will of the Turkish Cypriot people be ignored?
“If the Foreign Minister of the TRNC had been included in this protocol, these scenes would not have emerged. Does this suit us?
Özersay said no decision had been taken on the fenced-off town by the Council of Ministers.
He said that there was no decision taken regarding lifting Maraş’s military area status and the move only concerned the beachfront extending all the way to Derinya.
Özersay said the decision announced had nothing to do with the initiative agreed upon by the cabinet to reopen the town under Turkish Cypriot administration and to reinstate properties in the fenced-off area to its former owners.
“This is not a decision to open Maraş. It is an announcement on Maraş,” he said.
“There was a decision taken by the Council of Ministers. With this decision, we decided together in the government which step to take regarding the Maraş/Varosha project. We stated that whenever it is presented to us, it will be done after the election. First, an inventory study would be done and some steps would be taken.
“I do not know how an understanding that ignores the state can challenge the state. It is unacceptable to exclude the external affairs of such an important issue, risk the project and make election propaganda. Tatar took such a step three days before the election to exploit this issue in the election.
Özersay went on to accuse Prime Minister Tatar, who also is in the running for president, of using the initiative to open Maraş beaches to the public as an election inducement
He added that Tatar had invested completely in the election. “In the coming days, we will talk about the legal aspect of the issue. HP has decided to withdraw from the government, from now on we will live together whatever the constitutional process is. “
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