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Özgürlük ve Reform Partisi (ÖRP) Chairman Turgay Avcı, who recently visited Ankara, spoke by phone on the Öğlen Ajansı program hosted by Cem Kar about developments related to his visit. Avcı said that, just before the phone call, they had hosted the DİSİ party, and that they had exchanged views on what the two parties could do and decided to continue their discussions going forward. Regarding the presidential election, Avcı said, “If the voting psychology changes, I will run.”
“WE MET WITH DİSİ” Avcı said that they had held a meeting with DİSİ, a party from the southern part of the island, and commented on the visit: “DİSİ, of course, made its first visit to ÖRP. I thanked DİSİ Chairman Mr. Anastasiadis for this visit. This is because Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots are seeking a solution together. If there is to be a proper solution, it must be one in which both communities can live. In that regard, we discussed the two political parties meeting, how the difficulties in the resolution process could be addressed through a different work program, and how support could be given to the process. We agreed that the two parties would continue their relationship by meeting in the period ahead.”
“THE ANKARA VISIT WAS VERY POSITIVE” Avcı, who recently visited Ankara, noted that the visit had taken place in a positive atmosphere and had been very beneficial. Avcı said: “Our meeting with State Minister Cemil Çiçek, who is responsible for Cyprus, was very positive. We exchanged views on issues, problems, and economic matters in Cyprus. As in the past, we discussed how the economy and policies of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and its opening up to the world, could be achieved with the motherland. It was a very useful meeting.”
“MR. ÇİÇEK DOES NOT COMMENT ON INTERNAL BALANCES” Responding to a question about whether the presidency had been discussed during the meeting, Avcı said: “Since Mr. Çiçek is the state minister responsible for Northern Cyprus, he prefers not to comment on domestic politics. We must certainly have discussed matters among ourselves, but Mr. Çiçek is a minister who has never made comments that would interfere with the internal balances of the Turkish Cypriots.”
“A JOINT CANDIDATE IS VERY DIFFICULT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS” Giving his view on party leaders’ visits to Ankara being interpreted in different ways by different groups, Avcı said: “As ÖRP, we made a decision about the candidacy issue about a month and a half ago. The decision was that the party could put forward its own leader as a candidate, or that we could support a joint candidate if we could agree on one after discussions with other political parties, experts, and our colleagues in district administrations. Beyond all this, the decision was to support any alternative that could be agreed upon. As you know, we held two informal discussions with Mr. Serdar Denktaş about a joint candidate. But I said then, and I say now, that finding a serious joint candidate is not easy in this political climate. A consensus had been reached regarding Mr. Salih Coşar. But I had also said that I thought Mr. Salih Coşar would not enter the election in such an environment, and that is indeed what happened. Yes, these efforts are continuing, but in today’s political climate, a candidate capable of carrying the election forward would not want to take the risk under these conditions.”
“I WILL RUN IF THE PSYCHOLOGY CHANGES” In response to a question about whether he would run, Avcı said: “Unfortunately, the media and public were guided—and guided themselves—as if the two candidates had already been decided months ago. If our media outlets had expressed the view months ago that the two candidates currently in the race were not enough and that the process could not move forward with them, then public opinion would also have shifted. Unfortunately, our people were led to believe months ago that there were only two candidates. In previous months, I said, ‘I might do something crazy.’ I said we would look into it and see. If the voting attitudes regarding the election change—that is, if the voting psychology of those who expect to be hired after the election, or who think their problems will be resolved after the election, changes—then I will run.”