Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel on Tuesday denied allegations that the results of his political party the UBP’s primary election ahead of December’s legislative elections had been generated fraudulently, inviting those who disagree with him to leave the party.
“We held one of our most participatory, organised, and modern primary elections ever. A total of 8,929 of our members went to the polls and cast their votes to determine their party’s parliamentary candidates. We have completed a process in which our members voted without delay, comfortably, and securely,” he said.
Of the 17 people who filed objections to the results of Saturday’s primary election, he said that “we understand the disappointment of our friends who were not elected”, and that “they worked hard, they put in effort, and they entered the race with expectations”.
“However, a choice was made, and our members have made their decisions,” he said.
He added that he had “listened to the objections made”, and that after this, he had “discussed the matters from all angles, conducted the necessary investigations, and made my assessment”.
“I am saying this clearly here. This election has been the most transparent, open, orderly, and modern election the UBP has ever held … No one should expect us to change the decision of our members who dedicated their entire day to this election, sacrificing time with their families to come to vote,” he said.
As such, he said, “the will of our members is binding on all of us”, and “it is binding whether we get the desired result or not”.
Ustel urges those objecting to result to ‘look at themselves’
Regarding the high-profile candidacy withdrawals, which included Hakan Dincyurek, who also resigned as ‘health minister’, and Resmiye Canaltay, the daughter of former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu, he said that “becoming a candidate or withdrawing a candidacy is a personal decision”.
“However, slandering one’s own party, casting a shadow over the election, and insulting the party simply because one dislikes the result or one’s position on the list is absolutely unacceptable,” he said, before calling on the objectors to “look at themselves”.
On this front, he said that “we cannot share the same path with those who insult the party without questioning their own actions or considering the reasons behind our members’ choices”.
“Our doors are open to anyone who wants to serve this cause, carry this flag, and work for our country. Those who do not wish to continue on this path with us can go forth themselves. We will continue on this path,” he said.
Yesilirmak, Ozturkler may face legal trouble amid ‘fake diploma scandal’
Canaltay, herself a former ‘transport minister’, did not directly attack Ustel when she announced that she had withdrawn her candidacy on Tuesday morning, saying only that “having evaluated the current situation in all its aspects, I would like to announce to the public my intention to withdraw”.
The rejection of all appeals to Saturday’s result also means a likely end to the political careers of ‘parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler, who was not selected as a candidate in his home constituency of Morphou, and fellow incumbent members of the legislature Emrah Yesilirmak and Firtina Karanfil, who were not selected in their home constituencies of Trikomo and Lefka respectively.
Yesilirmak had already announced his intention to withdraw his candidacy on Sunday evening, and now, with the immunity granted to him as a member of the Turkish Cypriot legislature set to expire, he may face legal trouble down the line.
This is because the Turkish Cypriot chief public prosecutor’s office had filed a request to lift his immunity earlier this year over his alleged involvement in the “fake diploma scandal”, in which he allegedly received a counterfeit university degree.
Ozturkler, too, has been named in court papers in relation to the “fake diploma scandal”, with the police in March having launched an investigation into allegations that he coerced university officials to award degree certificates to his political allies under false pretences. He, too, therefore, could be in legal trouble
However, on this front, sources close to the matter have suggested to the Cyprus Mail that both men may relocate to Turkey so as to avoid arrest, as former ‘prime minister’ Huseyin Ozgurgun did in 2019.
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