The People’s Party (HP) will not meet with Ünal Üstel (UBP) to discuss forming a coalition, HP leader Kudret Özersay has said, Yenidüzen reported.,
Üstel recently was given the mandate to form a new government by President Ersin Tatar.
Özersay said, “We have been writing and saying it for days. These events are against democracy and democratic practices. A game is being played and we, as the People’s Party, will not participate in such a game of forming a government. Therefore, of course, we will not hold a meeting to form a government with Mr. Üstel, who received this assignment, which is contrary to democratic practices”.
Background
On April 29, a three-party coalition led by Faiz Sucuoğlu (UBP) broke up for the second time in two weeks after two junior coalition partners withheld a vote of confidence in parliament. On April 25, a previous administration, which also comprised the UBP, the Democratic Party (DP) and the Rebirth Party (YDP), resigned after Tatar refused to approve Sucuoğlu’s sacking of his finance minister Sunat Atun over disciplinary matters.
On Monday, President Ersin Tatar asked National Unity Party (UBP) deputy Ünal Üstel to form a government, in the third such mandate since a snap election in January.
Tatar gave the mandate to Üstel rather than Faiz Sucuoğlu, the leader of the ruling party UBP
Üstel is a deputy of the UBP and has served as interior minister since the election. Sucuoğlu has had a problematic relationship with Turkey, which is said to have considerable influence over Turkish Cypriot politics. He formed and operated one failed coalition government since the election and failed to gain parliamentary approval for a successor after its collapse last month.
According to Ahval, Turkey has attempted to prevent the establishment of a coalition led by Sucuoğlu, who has been at odds with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government since a party leadership contest in October 2020, echoing the views of opposition deputies and many political observers.
