Turkey Interfering in Elections: Akıncı

North Cyprus News - President Mustafa Akinci
President Mustafa Akıncı

President Mustafa Akıncı, who is running for re-election, has hit out at the decision to reopen the beachfront in Maraş/Varosha. It is a disgrace to democracy, he said. Akıncı said that interventions by Turkey in the presidential election campaign had taken on a new dimension. 

President Akıncı said that by remaining within international law and without coming into conflict with the UN, the issue of Maraş should be seen not as an obstacle to a solution, “but as an element that will contribute to the solution“.

He also said that these developments, which are taking place before the elections, have put the Turkish Cypriots in a difficult position in view of the fact the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had suggested an informal meeting of the two Cypriot leaders, the guarantors and himself to discuss resumption of the Cyprus talks, after the elections.  “It is wrong to make such an important issue as Varosha the subject of the election campaign just before the elections,” he said.

Akıncı also said that by declaring the Varosha beaches open and holding a ceremony to mark the reconnection of the undersea water pipeline from Turkey which was damaged in January, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, who is also a presidential candidate, had taken advantage and behaved improperly.

He emphasised that Turkey had seriously interfered with the presidential elections.

President Akıncı also said that these actions are contrary to the decisions of the Electoral Council and expressed the belief that the “Turkish Cypriot people will give their answer at the ballot box“.

Vatan

Other Stories