TURKISH Cypriot parties and organisations yesterday announced they were preparing an action plan to force Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to resign.
The leader of the Republican Turkish Party, Mehmet Ali Talat, yesterday repeated his call for Denktash’s resignation: “We believe Denktash does not represent the interests of the Turkish Cypriots, and not only at this specific time.
“We were aware of this before; Denktash had to support the interests of the Turkish Cypriots, but unfortunately he did not,” Talat said.
“We believe we have to do it (force him to resign) or else he won’t defend the interests of the Turkish Cypriots.”
Talat – who was summoned for urgent consultations in Ankara at the weekend – said Denktash’s stance also damaged the interests of Turkey and revealed that the opposition’s measures would include “protests and many other things”.
Talat revealed that an attempt would be made through ‘parliament’ to relieve Denktash from his duties as negotiator, despite the Turkish Cypriot leader holding a majority in the assembly.
“The tragic irony is that the international community is disenchanted with Denktash’s stance, but our state is not recognised internationally.
“By recognising Denktash as the leader of the community, they give him more power,” Talat said.
Talat warned the UN initiative risked losing its momentum in the aftermath of Copenhagen, despite the plan still being on the negotiating table.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
