Nicosia, Cyprus. The north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel on Friday relieved four high-ranking members of the north’s civil service of their duties. One of those dismissed said more key figures may lose their jobs in the coming days.
Officials removed from office
The four removed on Friday were Ustel’s undersecretary Huseyin Cahitoglu, the north’s planning organisation head Durali Guclusoy, ‘prime ministerial’ audit board head Halil Talaykurt, and housing commission chairman Halis Uresin.
Talaykurt calls dismissal a political decision
Talaykurt announced he had been relieved of his duties during an appearance on television channel Kanal Sim, saying his sacking was a “political decision” and “linked to ongoing political events”. He said Ustel informed him by telephone and that no reason had been provided.
Talaykurt said Ustel may “desire to enter the election process with new teams”. The north’s ruling coalition is required to hold a legislative election before February next year at the latest, though an election is widely expected to be held at some point this year.
“The government may prefer to proceed with new civil servants and new policies as it enters the election period,” Talaykurt said, adding that he had heard Ustel is considering dismissing everyone who works in his office with the exception of technical staff.
Towards the end of his television appearance, Talaykurt referred to “allegations of money laundering, bribery, and corruption” levelled against the ruling coalition, saying “such allegations have never been discussed on this scale in the country’s history”. He added it is “particularly sad that high-ranking civil servants from the UBP are being associated with these allegations”, referring to the largest of the north’s three ruling parties, which Ustel leads.
Dismissal of Uresin follows allegation over land allocation
Uresin’s dismissal comes weeks after former judge Tacan Reynar accused him of presiding over a housing commission meeting in which a land allocation application submitted by Uresin’s wife was deliberated and approved.
Cahitoglu’s recent arrest and bail
Cahitoglu, the highest ranking of the four, was arrested last month on suspicion of bribery, extortion, abuse of office, and illegal possession of firearms, among other charges. He was released on bail a little over a month ago.
What do you think the dismissals could mean for the north’s civil service in the run-up to the election?
