Northern Cyprus: surprise victory of the Ankara protege against the outgoing "president"
Ersin Tatar celebrates his electoral victory in northern Nicosia, Cyprus, October 18, 2020. REUTERS / Harun Ucar
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Defying the odds, the nationalist candidate Ersin Tatar, supported by Turkey, was elected Sunday "president" of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTNC), a success for Ankara in a context of strong tensions around his projects in the eastern Mediterranean.
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With 51.74% of the vote, Mr. Tatar supplants Mustafa Akinci, an outgoing leader with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and supporter of a reunification of the Mediterranean island in the form of a federal state, auguring a radical change relations with the southern part of the island.
The support of the candidate who came third in the first round on October 11 did not allow the Social Democrat to win.
A request for recounting of the ballots by the camp of Mr. Akinci, which has repeatedly denounced the interference of Turkey in the election, cannot be excluded.
Supporters of Mr. Tatar on the balcony of his party headquarters, overlooking the plaza where the results were broadcast, celebrated their victory with loud music extolling the merits of their champion and waving Turkish flags.
Ankara very quickly greeted "warmly" the victory of its protege.
Turnout rose to 67.30%, three points more than in 2015, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some 19,000 people were called to vote out of more than 300,000 inhabitants.
The election took place in a context of
strong tensions around the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean
between Ankara and Athens, the main ally of the Republic of Cyprus - member of the European Union since 2004 - which exercises its authority over the southern two-thirds of the island.
After drilling off North Cyprus, the return this week of a Turkish exploration vessel to waters claimed by Greece has stirred up discord and led to condemnation by EU leaders of 'provocations' from Turkey.
72-year-old social democrat, Akinci defends the reunification of Cyprus in the form of a federal state and has never hidden his intention to loosen ties with Ankara.
Mr. Tatar, 60, advocates a two-state solution.
After voting, Akinci said he hoped the Turkish Cypriots would remember the election "
as a celebration of the will of the people
" while his rival stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with Turkey. .
(With
AFP
)
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