By ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
A total of 103,269 “Turkish Cypriots” over the age of 18, bearing the identity of the “Republic of Cyprus”, have the right to vote in the European Parliament elections.
And “automatically”, without any kind of registration needed…
Turkish Cypriot voters constitute 15 per cent of the total number of voters in Cyprus.
In other words, we have “political power” in Europe that cannot be underestimated…
In fact, a “golden opportunity” is waiting for us, as if it dropped out of the sky…
It is a great “responsibility” at the same time…
Every person who carries an EU passport, or identity card will experience the “power” of EU citizenship and the democratic right to vote…
Most of us are not yet warm enough to the idea.
There are many people who say, “This is not what we really wanted and expected in Cyprus”…
Undoubtedly, our inability to get out of the current “political status quo” has a lot to do with this sentiment…
None of our political parties has been able to stomach an election in the “Republic of Cyprus” and campaign openly for it…
Politicians who support a solution also approach these elections in a timid and shy manner…
However, the world does not stop and life offers us “different” pathways…
When such a serious “opportunity” that can be used individually arises, I think we have no right to hesitate…
Because no one is willing to wait for us.
It seems that, despite everything, there is a lot of interest in these elections…
It is impossible not to see that there is an “election mood” on the Turkish side as well…
Therefore, we need to explore this new realm where we can play a “role” as “EU citizens” beyond the “Turkish Cypriot” identity…
We need to recognise that these elections are different and transformative for us.
Although it may seem like an individual act for Turkish Cypriots to go vote by crossing the barricades, but a massive turnout will lead to an increase in our social visibility.
This is a serious “achievement” for a small community in Europe…
In the election on Sunday, 12 political parties will compete…
There are names and parties on the ballot paper that may be of interest to Turkish Cypriots…
AKEL, which is at the top of the ballot paper, is nominating Niyazi Kızılyürek for the second time in this election. Kızılyürek’s chances are quite high… I will mention the reasons below…
Another name is Hulusi Kilim, Secretary General of the Volt party, founded under the slogan, “Bi-communal”…
From the same party, Makarios Drousiotis, a journalist and writer well known to Turkish Cypriot readers, will also be running.
Makarios is likely to get votes from Turkish Cypriots…
Another candidate is Öz Karahan of the Green Party.
According to the latest polls conducted in the Greek Cypriot side, AKEL and DISY are running neck and neck in terms of votes…
Most probably, they will have 2 deputies each…
The most striking result of the polls is that ELAM is likely to emerge as the third party and send one deputy to the EP [European Parliament]. DIKO is expected to win the sixth seat.
The extent to which Turkish Cypriots will participate in the EP elections, though, is a big “mystery” for now…
However, doubling the turnout in 2019 does not seem a remote possibility. In 2019, there were 82,925 registered Turkish Cypriots; 5804 votes were cast in the ballot boxes, 4076 of which were cast for AKEL. DISY received only 68 votes from Turkish Cypriots. AKEL’s votes increased by approximately 1.5 per cent.
In the last 5 years, the number of Turkish Cypriots registered as voters in the “Republic of Cyprus” has increased by approximately 30,000.
Therefore, our “weight in voting” is likely to exceed 2 per cent this time…
We are a society that espouses European values…
It was the dream of becoming European that provided the biggest “surge” in our recent history, the power that took us to the streets…
EU membership and a solution…
Turkish Cypriots wanted both very much.
It shouted this to the world with 65 per cent of the votes in the referendum…
But it didn’t happen, it couldn’t happen…
The Greek Cypriot community did not say “yes” to the Annan Plan in 2004…
Exactly six years later, in 2010, Christofias and Talat failed to reach an agreement, despite having made a lot of progress…
Exactly seven years later, Akıncı-Anastasiades almost hit the post…
Had there been a solution, 2 of the 6 members of the European Parliament of “Cyprus” would have been Turkish Cypriots.
It did not happen; but life did not stop…
The “Republic of Cyprus” won all six seats.
Only AKEL took a big step 5 years ago and put a “Turkish Cypriot candidate” on the election list.
Prof. Niyazi Kızılyürek was elected to the European Parliament with the votes of Greek Cypriot voters.
During these 5 years, Kızılyürek could have continued his “European mandate” with his own voters, without even crossing over to the Turkish side…
In short, he did not “owe” anything to the Turkish Cypriots in terms of politics…
But he didn’t do that…
He made it felt on European platforms that there is a civilised, European, modern, secular “society” in the northern part of Cyprus…
He became our “voice” in almost all EU institutions…
He played an important role in the Hellim [Halloumi] issue, in trade with the EU, in overcoming problems when there were bottlenecks in the education of our young people in Europe.
Kızılyürek attaches great importance to the participation of Turkish Cypriots in these elections.
He has even based his entire campaign on “more participation”, without saying “elect me”.
He loudly voices his concern that “while the northern part of Cyprus is becoming more and more crowded, the number of Turkish Cypriots is shrinking”…
He demands that we have “agency”…
Let’s not miss this opportunity and go to the polls next Sunday…
