At the DP Festival held over the weekend, Serdar Denktaş said, “We will not divide our people as they have… We will embrace and unite the people without making any distinctions.”
During the Annan Plan period, the people of the TRNC were divided into ‘yes’ and ‘no’ camps, just as Mr. Denktaş said. In fact, during the Annan Plan period, this division was present even within homes, let alone between groups. I remember that the DP was a coalition partner in government during the period when this division took place, though perhaps it made no contribution to it. Meanwhile, the division that occurred during that period was an unavoidable reality! In other words, there was a plan on the table, and differing views meant that division was bound to happen.
What matters here, in my view, is that not a single person was even hurt during that period. I think this is a clear indication of just how strong the TRNC people’s understanding of democracy is. It is also important to give credit to the security forces and political institutions, which made a great effort to prevent such incidents from happening, even though violence was occasionally incited during the same period.
It is an undeniable fact that we will face the same situation again if a final agreement text emerges during these ongoing negotiations. At this point, what Mr. Denktaş has said takes on real importance. If Mr. Denktaş is anticipating such a situation when he says, “We will embrace and unite the people without making any distinctions,” then he is not only taking on a very difficult task but also highlighting an important issue!
In other words, if Mr. Denktaş becomes Prime Minister, as he claims he will, he will have to agree with our President on every issue. He must be in agreement so that—if, as he claims, his party comes to power—he can unite the entire public. It is worth noting that the CTP-DP coalition was harmonious when Talat was at the helm of the CTP.
I think the main idea running through the speeches at the festival was ‘a people divided amid conflict’. Mr. Denktaş touched on almost every issue in this context. That included the economy, albeit indirectly. Denktaş spoke about the state of the business community; the topic came up just as something I had experienced was on my mind!
The other day, I had a very interesting conversation with a parliamentary candidate! Our conversation began after he said, “I’m just a poor civil servant.” I asked him, “I wonder who is worse off: you or people working in the private sector?” After that, we agreed that in our country, civil servants earn more than some businesspeople! In other words, those businesspeople will work, create added value, and keep the tax system running. Once all that is done, the state will earn money, and that money will go back to the same businesspeople and the public—not in the familiar form of roads, water, and electricity, but as salaries for people working in state services!
We could add many more examples of the distortions in our country. In fact, after reading these lines, you must already be coming up with more examples yourselves!
I think Serdar Denktaş is aware of all these distortions! Perhaps that awareness is what makes him so confident. That confidence is why I am writing these lines…
Still, it is worth reminding you: Mr. Denktaş, what you say sounds good, but you have a very difficult job ahead of you!
Hope to see you on Friday…
Pay attention to your surroundings, keep them clean, and please be respectful on the road!