In this file 2010 photo, Nicos Anastasiades, the leader of Greek Cyprus’ main opposition party, the Democratic Rally, speaks to reporters with former KKTC President Mehmet Ali Talat. (PHOTO Cihan, Bilal Şahin)
The majority of Turkish Cypriots favor Nicos Anastasiades, the leader of Greek Cyprus’ main opposition party, the Democratic Rally (DISY), in the upcoming presidential elections in Greek Cyprus.
The elections in Greek Cyprus will be held on Feb.17. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent in the first round, there will be a second round held on Feb. 24.
There are three principal presidential candidates in the elections: Anastasiades, Stavros Malas with the support of the communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), and independent George Lillikas. Current President Dimitris Christofias has announced that he will not be seeking re-election. In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Anastasiades is the favored candidate. Former KKTC President Mehmet Ali Talat stated last month that if Anastasiades is elected, it would be advantageous for the potential of a resolution of the Cyprus dispute.
“Anastasiades’ victory would be a positive sign for the resolution of the Cyprus issue. He is a figure who looks positively on negotiation of the issue. Unlike Christofias, who was at odds with the Turkish side, Anastasiades will try to pursue a more moderate policy on the issue,” Mehmet Hasgüler, a Turkish Cypriot academic who teaches at the European University of Lefke, told Sunday’s Zaman. Anastasiades is a leader who supported the Annan plan, proposed by the United Nations in 2004 to resolve the Cyprus dispute. The proposal suggested establishing a federation of two states. Greek Cypriots rejected the proposal by 76 percent, while 65 percent of Turkish Cypriots approved it in a referendum that took place on both sides of the island in 2004.
“I believe that Anastasiades should win. He is a right-wing oriented leader who has some healthy ideas about future cooperation between Turkey and Greek Cyprus. If Anastasiades is successful, Turkey will have a leader it can talk to in Greek Cyprus. Anastasiades is a figure who will negotiate,” Sylvia Tiryaki, an expert on the Cyprus issue and the deputy director of the İstanbul-based Global Political Trends Center, told Sunday’s Zaman.
Recent opinion polls conducted in Greek Cyprus indicate that Anastasiades is the leading candidate among the three running for the office of president; however, experts believe that in the first round there may be no clear winner and that the elections may go to a second round. Although Anastasiades won the most support during the recent, second televised debate among the three candidates, a surprise result may come out of a second round of voting, according to the experts.
“I think that there will be a second round if we take into consideration the history of the election process in Greek Cyprus. I am afraid that in case of a victory for Malas or Lillikas, either of them would continue the previous track of Christofias, and then we could not expect any change in Greek Cyprus’ policy towards the Turkish side,” said Tiryaki.
Tiryaki further noted that both candidates may even become more radical than Christofias, adding that Greek Cyprus needs a president who will be able to maintain good relations with its neighbors.
Anastasiades recently declared his desire to make Greek Cyprus a NATO member state; however, Malas and Lillikas do not lean toward membership in the international organization.
Agreeing with Tiryaki, Hasgüler stated that in the first round of the elections, no candidate is likely to get more than 50 percent. “Malas and Lillikas may use Anastasiades’ stance toward the Annan plan as a trump card in order to gain the support of Greek Cypriots,” said Hasgüler. Malas and Lillikas rejected the Annan proposal.
Hasgüler added that in the case of a victory for Malas or Lillikas, neither figure would contribute to the solution of the Cyprus issue, but would prefer to continue the same policy pursued by Christofias.
“Anastasiades’ election could even lead to a breakthrough with the European Union over the Cyprus issue because while there are some countries in the EU that do not want a resolution of the dispute, Anastasiades is a figure favored by some in Europe as well; therefore, he may have an influence on those EU countries’ policies. Some countries in Europe fear that in the event of a resolution of the issue, Turkey will become a stronger country,” said Hasgüler.
The year 2012 was a terrible year for Turkish-EU relations, as no new chapters were opened in Turkey’s accession negotiations. Turkey froze its relations with the European Council in reaction to Greek Cyprus taking the helm of the EU in the latter half of 2012. This exacerbated an already very tense relationship. Turkey does not recognize Greek Cyprus as a sovereign state.
Turkey began EU accession talks in 2005, but the process has ground to a halt due to an intractable dispute over Cyprus and opposition from core EU members France and Germany.
SINEM CENGIZ ANKARA/ Zaman
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