Dincyurek Reverses Resignation and Will Run for UBP in December Elections

Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot ‘health minister’ Hakan Dincyurek on Tuesday retracted the resignation he had handed in two days earlier. He said he will stand as a UBP candidate in the Turkish Cypriot legislative elections in December, reversing his earlier announcement that he would not.

Dincyurek’s statement

Dincyurek said he was sharing his decisions after discussions, mutual evaluations and consultations. He said he and his colleagues would keep to their course, upholding their beliefs and carrying the responsibility given to them by those who trust them. He closed with the words: “Let’s meet at the ballot box on December 6, for the sake of our country, our people, and our party.”

His announcement came after the deadline for parties to submit candidate lists had passed. The UBP released its final list late on Tuesday evening.

Ozturkler on the list

‘Parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler had said earlier in the day that he would run in the December vote. He said he did not intend to step aside and would keep campaigning for the UBP to the end. His statement followed unconfirmed reports that party leader and ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel had been pressing him to withdraw.

Both Ozturkler and Dincyurek are on the final list. Ozturkler, however, was placed last in his home constituency of Morphou. He was one of 17 people who challenged the outcome of the party’s internal primary held on Saturday. Ustel responded that the result was binding, whether or not it produced the outcome the party wanted.

Yesilirmak’s position

Reports also said Ustel had urged another sitting legislator, Emrah Yesilirmak, to leave the race. The primary result had left Yesilirmak in a position similar to Ozturkler’s, as he was not automatically chosen in Trikomo. He too is on the final list, but at the bottom in his home constituency of Trikomo.

Diploma scandal

The election may carry higher stakes for Ozturkler and Yesilirmak than for most candidates, as investigations have been opened into both in connection with the “fake diploma scandal”. On Tuesday, Fatma Unal, a longtime close personal associate of Ustel, was sentenced to five years in jail over the affair.