1st EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
7 February, 2009, Nicosia
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The Extraordinary Congress Resolution #1
BOYCOTT the Agents’ Elections
Once again we are entering the election process to determine the Executive of the subordinate local administration of the northern part of Cyprus[1]. In fact, as it was stated in previous congresses of the New Cyprus Party and its party assembly decisions, these elections are a process of determining who is to serve as an agent, not a government or even an administration. This process, which is to determine who will be the agent through which the Republic of Turkey will rule the administration of northern part of Cyprus, can not be considered as a process where representative democracy works, where the right to vote and be elected is used freely and on democratic principles, and where the people’s will is reflected…
Unfortunately, despite all the experience we have been through, there are those who still try to interpret these elections differently.
Those who strive to serve as alternatives in the elections, accept beforehand that the conditions to call these processes elections exist. However, this acceptance is a fallacy, so none can be a genuine alternative nor can the rule by decrees be removed. To become a government means to rule, to be in power, and to have power. Here people are merely in office. Under these conditions, it is not possible for anyone to be a government or to be in power. Hence, the way to seize power is not through the ballot, but through the struggle in the streets. For this reason, it is necessary to make politics in the streets. Those who wish to take part in this struggle will find the doors of the New Cyprus Party open. Without waging a clear and open struggle of this kind and without the people getting organized, things done between elections will be limited and will only serve as propaganda.
With the reality that the conditions to call the process elections are lacking, there have been clear interventions in the election process as in 1990, intervention in the election results as in 1981, and in the formation of governments in 1993 by forming the Democrat Party (DP) from splitting the National Unity Party (UBP) in 1992, and in 2006, by forming the Freedom and Reform Party (ORP)[2] through recruiting MP’s from the UBP and DP. All the elections in the northern part of Cyprus since 1975 have been subverted by Turkey’s military and civil administrations. All interventions, and especially those after 1990, have been authenticated and camouflaged with the inclusion of a “left wing” party[3].
In the meantime, with regards to election standards in the northern part of Cyprus, the conditions for looking only at the Election Day and deciding do not exist; however, certain international organizations, out of habit, produce decisions and reports by observing only on the Election Day. But since the result of the election could be determined by what is being done before and during the process of the elections, no need arises for an important or visible intervention on the Election Day…
The New Cyprus Party has been calling for boycotting the elections since 2003. And during the period from 1990 to 2000 when it participated in elections, it used the elections as a platform for political purposes to raise important issues and called on the electorate to vote “for this voice” and it pointed out clearly that so long as the current conditions prevail elections will not be a remedy.
In the meantime, some circles are trying to manipulate the call for boycott. They use offensive sentences such as “in order not to take sides in the election” or “to sit at home on election day” based on the presupposition that the mission of political parties are to work only during elections. In addition, although some circles are aware of the fact that there is no legal obligation to vote, by using Turkey as an example, they tell people that there is a penalty for not going to the ballot box, hence forcing people to vote. As it is known, there is no legal sanction in the northern part of Cyprus for not going to the polls.
The New Cyprus Party has been waging its struggle against the regime for 20 years. The New Cyprus Party members, its sympathizers and friends have always been in the forefront of the struggle as militants. Therefore, apart from the contributions of our frank and real friends, the New Cyprus Partisans have no need for any suggestions from those who remember politics from election to election, from those who dream about revolution and change by gaining a few seats in the parliament, from those who are happy to serve as window dressing, and from political acrobats.
The New Cyprus Party is determined to continue its struggle against the regime within the framework of tactics and strategies established by its relevant party organs after discussions among its members, sympathizers and friends and to actively BOYCOTT these elections as the renewal of agents completely planned and programmed by Ankara.
In addition, the New Cyprus Party has explained in its program how it perceives the elections in the northern part of Cyprus and what needs to be done in these processes…
This is how it is written in the program of the New Cyprus Party:
“without the occupation coming to an end, it does not view the elections in Cyprus as a remedy because the Turkish Republic military-civil administrations still shape each election in this country, before and afterwards with different interventions. Therefore, as long as these conditions continue, the party evaluates each election within its own whereabouts, participates or not within this frame, however at any time it uses the elections as an instrument to decipher the regime and to transfer its own views and correct diagnoses regarding the future to the people.”
And;
“While choosing the methods of struggle, the party shall decide without being carried away by prejudices and by evaluating each condition within its own situation. While choosing the methods of struggle, importance shall be laid on taking decisions by keeping in mind all conditions and instruments and by providing large participation within the party.”
On the basis of these thoughts and by evaluating the results of meetings and discussions during the Congress the following are established:
± Conditions do not exist to call the process elections
° The demographic structure has been changed and the elections can be predetermined
According to the Geneva Convention it is a war crime to transfer population to occupied territories…
This established fact is usually ignored. If reminding is needed, according to the Geneva Convention approved on August 12, 1949: “Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive. (…)The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” (Protocol 4, Article 49) (http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/380?OpenDocument)
Despite this, after 1974 an illegal administration was setup, population was transferred from Turkey and the administrations distributed and are still distributing citizenships to many of these people… The numbers of citizenships given have now reached a stage where they can decide the result of the elections on their own.
The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) has cancelled the citizenships of 200 people as a result of a court case opened before it was in government, and immediately after it was in power it cancelled a few thousand citizenships given before that, but it has not taken any steps in the last five years towards cancelling the tens of thousands of citizenships which were given illegally even according to their own legislation.
Under such conditions an electoral list cannot be accepted as legal; but what is even more serious is that through unlawful external interventions for many years and by violating even their own laws or legislation this electoral list has been inflated even more…
In the past it appeared in the press that people who did not even live in the northern part of Cyprus were given fake addresses and were registered on the electoral roll. For instance, prior to the 2000 elections, as published in Yenicag Newspaper[4], the citizen of Turkey, Ihsan Ocalan, was registered on the electoral roll of Degirmenlik (Kythrea) by showing a fake address. (http://www.ykp.org.cy/ybh/secim2000/belge/haber.htm)
It is possible to show other similar examples. Even with only these reasons, these unlawful electoral rolls are shown to be untrustworthy.
In addition to this, during CTP’s presence in the administration, the active population has exceeded 500 thousand and this fact will be an influence during the election period…
The established fact that the active population has reached 500 thousand is not only New Cyprus Party’s view, but this was also confirmed by Talat and it has become a topic of editorials in newspapers. If a reminder is needed;
“Mr. Talat said that the demographic structure has not changed. Mr President[5] was right if official numbers are taken into account; but right after, these sentences poured out of his mouth: “If the workers who work here with a permit and registration are made citizens together with their families, the population could reach 500 thousand” (…) Calculations on services such as education and health are made according to the number of citizens, but the real number is 500 thousand. And it is our President who confirms this.” (Aytug Turkkan, starKIBRIS, 9 November 2007)
(http://www.starkibris.net/index.asp?haberID=6383)
As the population issue is being discussed, the New Cyprus Party continually comes under attack both from the so-called left and the right. First of all, the New Cyprus Party sees every individual as a human being and it struggles so that every human being lives with rights, freely, and with honour. But the change of the demographic structure of the northern part of Cyprus is an engineered process. It is a political act by the deep state and civilian administrations of the Republic of Turkey to complete the conquering, the Turkification, and the Islamization of the island. The New Cyprus Party is against this political movement and it fights against it.
The New Cyprus Party has no problem with any individual no matter what religion, language or ethnic identity …
It is not possible to claim that an election is democratic and transparent without clearly knowing things such as who is in the electorate and what the exact number of the population is…
The New Cyprus Party had earlier put forward proposals as well and it is adamant on this.
Under today’s conditions, until an agreement is reached, only those who have the right to elect and be elected under the 1960 Cyprus Republic Constitution should do so.
The solution of the Cyprus problem is possible only through a federal agreement between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. For this reason, changing the demographics by giving more citizenships to people from Turkey than the number of Turkish Cypriots, will mean that a possible federation will be with Turkey, something unacceptable to Cypriots.
Turkish soldiers and the transfer of population from Turkey are the most difficult parts of the problem and giving out new citizenships makes an agreement even more difficult.
All citizenships given out contrary to international law after 1974, excluding those acquired under the 1960 Cyprus Republic Constitution through marriage to a Cypriot or born from those marriages, should be cancelled.
Transfer of population should stop and the population transfer to the northern part of Cyprus should immediately be gradually reduced, taking human rights into consideration. In addition, a census should be carried out without delay under the supervision of international observers.
The New Cyprus Party has been waging its fight for years in accordance with its views and it is determined to continue its fight on this basis.
° The civil and military bureaucrats of Turkey are present under every stone
The embassy of the Turkish Republic with its mobilizations at various times is standing as an obstacle to the integration of this population[6] with Cypriots. The embassy is acting like an administrative organ of a province in Turkey; continuously calls members of this population to ‘the office’ of the embassy for procedures such as birth, death, and marriage and the decision of the embassy is required even for citizenship of the northern part of Cyprus. The most recent mobilization was done on the pretext of verifying addresses and hundreds of thousands of citizens of Turkey some of whom are also citizens of the subordinate local administration in the northern part of Cyprus were called to the office for “registration renewal”. This is an important intervention done before going to elections…
And the civil and military bureaucrats of Turkey continue their interventions before and during elections and no preventive measure has been developed. Especially in places where there are military units in towns and villages, the advice of high ranking officers, their recommendation (!) meetings, sometimes are even reflected in the media… The representatives of the Aid Commission of Turkey, in some instances even brush the government aside and call for tenders in villages for public works and provide assistance. These topics as well are sometimes reflected in the media.
° Chauvinism and militarism is everywhere; the new fashion, fetishism of the flag
Chauvinism is everywhere in the northern part of Cyprus and it is the main element in the propaganda. The giant flags erected everywhere, the illuminated flag on the mountain, the national security lessons at schools, the history of revolution lessons at universities, and articles of certain columnists in the media, and with the news in the media, the dosage of chauvinism is felt everyday in daily life. Apart from the humiliating and finger pointing rightwing press, it is possible to find tens of news items as examples in the so-called progressive press that begin with “but the Greeks”, racist, discriminatory, and Chauvinist and articles that estrange members of the other community however well intentioned. The most obvious example of this Chauvinism and estranging political stand is the phrase “to be dependent on the Greeks”[7] which has stuck to the tongues of some politicians. If Chauvinism, warmongering, militarist, and patriarchal policies are not prevented, and more importantly if this is not prevented from becoming the official policy of the administration, there will not be a basis for democratic discussion and therefore, elections will be meaningless. In such conditions where the official thesis is being forced with all kinds of media and the educational system and an offensive policy to defend it is being implemented, it would only be a dream to discuss the rights of women and lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals[8] (LGBT) and to hope for improvements on these issues.
In any case, the military interferes in all aspects of daily life. On 20 July, 30 August, 29 October, and on 15 November and once before each of the above dates, in total eight times a year, the tanks roll through the streets of our towns and the F16 fighters fly over them.
The principle “cedant arma togae” that is, “Let arms yield to the gown; let violence give place to law”, was written at the beginning of the Roman law, and is applied in all modern administrations. The military authority is subject to the civil authority and tells its views to the higher civil authority and respects its decisions. The New Cyprus Party is fighting so that these principles are fully applied in the whole of Cyprus…
Not only through the official institutions of the administration, but also through the institutions of the deep state, are the politics explained above being imposed.
The Civil Defence Organization[9], with a colonel at its head, a large section of it underground, and a job description not clearly defined, it makes UHH[10] type propaganda with the periodical it publishes, and with its radio it reproduces this politics in different versions. Whatever their name and whatever music they play, this situation helps to camouflage them and provide an audience for them. Especially with their broadcasts on “special” days and with the daily militarist broadcasts the pro-status quo politics is “injected” into the community; and the chauvinist and militarist propaganda is made more digestible in this “soft” packaging.
Similarly, the existence of another radio of the Security Forces Command[11] (GKK) is a clear example of the intervention of the military in this area. The Civil Defence Organization and the GKK with their powerful radio signals can reach hundreds of people, thus influencing them. This situation will continue during the elections; and apart from the military’s and the underground organizations’ indirect and camouflaged interventions on other organs of the media, the daily propaganda of chauvinism and militarism will continue through them…
° The dirty and controlled media
In addition to all these, in the publicly owned or so-called independent radio and TV stations, tens of programs have been cancelled, tens of journalists have been sacked or have been forced to resign during the last three or four years, because they opened their doors to dissident voices or they were in opposition to the situation in the northern part of Cyprus… This process was not only for broadcasts criticizing the regime. The CTP attacked despotically every broadcast criticizing it and it silenced press and broadcasting organizations with various oppression methods. No proper discussion of scandals was allowed in the media that in any normal country would have caused the downfall of the government. Most importantly, the fact that some circles controlling the media have entered into a give and take relationship with the government has decreased people’s trust in the media. The media has lowered their standards and hit rock bottom… It is a fact that the reflection of views against the regime during the elections would be more difficult than before and it would be impossible for the media to sufficiently open its doors to different views for a more democratic discussion. In addition to this, paid announcements are another deteriorating and damaging element for a democratic and just media. Another known reality of ours is that some parties acquire money from the government for themselves under the name of state assistance. In addition to this, we recall from the past how UBP entered into interest relationships with businesses, we saw this with CTP at the fund raising dinner at Colony Hotel, we witnessed it with Altinbas, purchasing an enormous number of raffle tickets from ORP and we know that in the run up to the elections, those who hold resources in their hands will increase the amounts. As a result, it is a fact that the non-transparent relationship between the donor and the recipient will be seen even more during this period. It is clear that this will be reflected in the discussions in the media. Because of this, the conditions to participate in the elections and use them for winning the arguments have become more difficult…
All these are infringements of democratic and transparent election procedure…
° The imposition of Islamization
While respecting the role faiths play in democracies, the Islamist propaganda which increased after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power continues in the mosques. Through this, hegemony is being established especially in the population from Turkey, and the propaganda in the mosques interferes with their political choices. Since the people who work in the mosques are civil servants, this is something that is run by the administration but especially it is a propaganda that is understood to be run by the officials of the Republic of Turkey. It is a universal crime and it is forbidden for the state to make propaganda (disinformation).)
Looking at these facts, it is clear that the conditions for fair, transparent, and democratic elections do not exist in the northern part of Cyprus…
° What to do to call an election, election
From the point of view of enabling political parties to work freely, “to be able to call an election, election”
a. The state, the administration should be prevented from describing a policy as “national”,
b. Disinformation should be a crime, the punishment and the perpetrator should be described,
c. The law preventing prosecutors to do their work without the permission of the chief prosecutor should be changed and they should be enabled to follow the crime,
d. For the prosecutors to do their work, the allocation of duties should be taken up in the police force,
e. The law for the parties and elections should be changed and the amendment should enable inspections of donations to parties,
f. Propaganda against parties at schools and educational institutions should be forbidden and functions of parties should be explained,
g. The population brought over from Turkey so that the will of Cypriots will not be reflected, and the population be increased and to protect a structure that can be controlled by Turkey plus the situation of the electorate should be rearranged. With international observers and transparent methods and with the use of records from the Republic of Cyprus, the population structure should be established precisely, and the electorate should be established according to international agreements.
± What is the difference in choosing from the options?
We are not in a position to call these elections, elections; we should realise that there is no difference between UBP and CTP who call themselves choices.
The return to a UBP of Dervish Eroglu gave the CTP leadership the opportunity to apply again the policy of “bogeyman”. The CTP leadership used to apply a policy of fear over Denktash; in fact, this is the only thing it can do. Once more it returned to this policy of fear. The CTP leadership who has no other policy and nothing else to say, in fact, that is all it can do.
° The status quo is alive and kicking!
If you look at the newspapers of December 2003, you could see that everybody was happy thinking that the status quo collapsed, because of the seats won by CTP and BDH[12]. Only one year later and some others even later woke up from this dream and they are again calling for a struggle against the status quo, but again they think that this can be done by winning 3 or 5 seats in the parliament…
Ruling by decree, corruption, irregularities, oppression, chauvinism, an anti-solution policy on the Cyprus problem, curbing the rights of workers, the minimum wage becoming a misery wage, changing in the demographic structure, and the annihilation of Cypriots still continues like before… That is, the status quo with its institutions and its applications, that is, as a whole, it is alive and kicking…
° Capital has become the main value
There is not much to say after even the pro-CTP Dev-Is[13] opposed the things their party did when in government in the socio-economic sphere, but, in any case, let us recall some things.
In 1999 when Talat was the CTP leader, whatever he criticized about the social security bill at a press conference, although still valid, they passed a similar law and they dubbed it “a revolution”. With this law, all rights have been curbed. But what is more important is that as mentioned at the CTP press conference, the three-pronged system was passed. That is, not a single one, but a complex social security bill is passed. Although it has been one year since the Law was passed, no report about its implementation was published which means that whatever the situation was in the social insurance days the same exists today. Again the administration does not fulfil its responsibility, it does not pay the premiums; it still does not make the necessary investments, but what does it matter, as in Social Insurance, in the Social Security Institute, too, the government has the say. That is, as they say in Turkish, the lamb is entrusted to the wolf…
With regard to working life, the European Social Charter has not been accepted, yet, there are not yet any arrangements for working hours, and the ILO conventions which have been accepted as internal law are still not implemented. No matter what it is called, getting unionized and organized is measurable and reality is standing before us, in the private sector 99% of the workforce is not organized. And in the public sector organized labour is weakening; due to the relationship between CTP and trade unions, some unions are losing their function and becoming ineffective. Memberships have fallen to a level that apart from some minor interest relationships there are not any expectations. Trade unions are not even trusted by their own members and this is the work of CTP who continuously points the finger at the trade unions and is continuously battling with them.
There are still no collective contracts, but only collective negotiations which are a third rate right, the minimum wage act is not implemented fully, and it is only partly implemented.
It is a mathematical fact that the CTP governments have succeeded (!) in raising the minimum wage by 80% in five years to only 537 Euros in January 2009 from 312 Euros which was the last time the UBP fixed the minimum wage in August 2003… That is, a CTP which has not changed the situation where the minimum wage is a misery wage, like UBP governments, a CTP which has not allowed a representative of workers on the commission for establishing the minimum wage Although there is a substantial number of people in the private sector with minimum wage, it cannot be said to be on the side of labour.
It is possible to extend the list of this kind of examples in the socio-economic sphere…
That is, in short, from the point of view of labourers or working people, it is difficult to find any difference between CTP and UBP; they both follow the same policies by using different phraseology, like the UBP saying “capital is the main value” and CTP saying “labour is the main value.” For this reason, the imposition to choose between UBP and CTP is unacceptable, because they are carbon copies of each other, both are anti-labour parties… Under today’s conditions “capital is the main value” for both of them.
° The rich-loving CTP
The argument of the CTP regarding economic prosperity which is repeated continuously is an empty nonsensical argument. Because, when the economic statistics were being announced, making propaganda by saying “our economic prosperity has increased” while putting people like Boyacilar, Asil Nadir, and others in the same basket with those who have low income and then calculating an average is, to put it mildly, tantamount to thinking that people are idiots.
Another important issue besides this is the amount of debt per person. And this is the other fact which does not explain wealth. In fact, the world economic crisis is the reflection of debt management/mismanagement politics. People can have a higher standard of living than they could afford by monies that do not belong to them or through credits, but the continuity of this is arguable. In addition, no one knows when the economic balloon will explode; the last economic crisis is the best example for this. If we go back a little, we will see such examples that took place one after another, in Mexico, the Far East, and Argentine. Those who are curious what awaits us should study the crisis in Argentine, because the crisis knocking on the door will be similar to that…
Since there is no production in the northern part of Cyprus, since most people working in the private sector receive minimum wage, and since there are no increases in the civil servants’ salaries, we need more facts in order to understand where this wealth is coming from, but the CTP leadership is hiding these facts… They claim that the population is 200 thousand, but even Talat says that it is 500 thousand. The doors are open and no one knows how many people come in or go out; for this reason, there should be an answer to what per capita income are they talking about… If we look at the existing situation, the fact in front of us is that apart from a few rich people and a few new ones, there is no wealth added to the economy by CTP! The CTP governments have kept their word they gave at the Colony Hotel, the rich have become richer, and they are the last ones affected by sanctions. The new thing now is to offer special areas, such as tourism, to wealthy individuals from Turkey. The CTP governments have created the ground and conditions for this. The tourism sector has greatly suffered, it is in a coma, but it is not yet dead. When the present bed capacity is completed, it will die… And this means CTP’s contribution to the plan of making Cypriots a minority. In order to increase the Turkish labour force, the Turkish capital, with encouragement to investments beyond what the natural environment could take, has been given the task. In economic terms, it is clear that the CTP governments are telling fairy tales of economic development while trying to hide the fact that they have been more successful than the UBP in getting the Turkish Cypriots into deeper debts and because of this, everyone thinks themselves as rich but in reality this so called wealth comes from the sale of Greek Cypriot land, and most of this money is already spent and from credits.
Due to all these, in reality we have not gone anywhere economically and because of this, too, a choice between CTP and UBP would be meaningless.
° Freedoms are under threat, torture is well known
Starting from 2003 there have been no improvements in the areas of human rights and freedoms.
Investigations and court cases against trade unionists and journalists continued. Freedoms have improved neither in the area of gender issues nor in women issues. The northern part of Cyprus is the only region in the EU where expressing ones gender in public, other than being heterosexual, is a crime entailing a prison sentence. Violence against women has been documented, but the administration stayed silent, hence making violence acceptable.
There have been accusations of torture by the police in courts, European and Cypriot human rights organizations and their observers have documented them in their reports[14], but no one acted on these reports. Likewise the situation in the prison was also reported, the press reported it, and beating was documented with medical reports, but the administration kept silent on this as well, making it acceptable. The police practice of going from the suspect to the crime, that is, condemning the suspect by his/her “confession” (!) continued with full speed. Long periods of detention curtailing individual freedom have become an everyday occurrence. House break-ins and house searches with no regard to rules and laws by the police continued during this period. It appeared in the newspapers that the police are using the crime prevention branch as a place to obtain confessions from suspects through torture. Despite all this, there has been no action against any police official. On the contrary, police officials have mainly been taken to court on accusations of drug and human trafficking. There is a widely held opinion that more of them should have been taken to court, but no one did what was necessary. The police continued to be under the military and although the military is responsible for the borders, the responsibility in human trafficking of the authority has been documented, but the military and the police continue to ignore these reports…
The northern part of Cyprus remains the only region among EU countries not recognizing the right of conscientious objection.[15]
Journalists continued to be detained[16] for taking pictures and nothing has been done apart from making arrangements for a few regions. The freedom of journalists to news and information continues to be restricted. The so-called press law has passed, but it is being implemented as we know only in the public sector. The military’s embargo on the press increased during this period and journalist organizations demonstrated saying “we do not receive orders, we are journalists” and the CTP administration just watched. The representative of the military continued to sit on the BRT[17] board and with the party commissar on his side the freedom on news broadcasts continues to be restricted…
The northern part of Cyprus during CTP administration has not been a place where human rights and freedoms were more respected compared to the period of UBP…
° The Cyprus problem: the same master, the same expression,
but with a different voice
The CTP leadership has not given anything to Cypriots as far as the Cyprus problem is concerned, either. By using Papadopoulos, they continued the Denktash policies of tension in different ways. Apart from promises, no concrete step has been taken in the Cyprus problem. On the issues of population and property, the two most important aspects of the Cyprus problem, things went backwards. In the northern part of Cyprus, simply because they belong to Greek Cypriots and so as not to return them, no mountain and no forest land were left un-looted.
The mentality which looted buildings, in the 2000’s looted land properties and once again it drove the Cyprus problem to a serious impasse. What a coincidence that it was also a CTP government which in the early 1990’s pushed the button for the ITEM[18] act opening the way for the looting of land properties…
While demining was completed years ago in the south, it is still continuing in the north. The opening of Limnitis was left to an unknown future. We remind those that are trying to gain points from the opening of Ledra Street what took place and is still taking place… Denktash style procedures in passing through the checkpoint are still continuing. In shopping, Eroglu style practices and threats are increasingly continuing. Activities with Greek Cypriots sometimes are being dubbed as treachery by the CTP leadership. From Denktash’s crude recognition phraseology, to softer, but still Denktash style recognition phraseology through hiding behind “lift the isolations” sloganeering is continuing with full speed.
Although in real life there is no trace of a demand for a solution in CTP policies apart from the image they created, they again are asking for votes from people through scare tactics. In fact, even this is a Denktash style tactic. Denktash also used the fear politics for years by saying “if you vote such and such party they will sell out to Greeks” and now CTP is asking votes using the same tactics by saying “If you give your votes to such and such party the UBP will come back and the status quo will continue.”
° The solution is in the streets
It is impossible for other political formations to produce solutions on all issues, as well.
If we do not aim to build our future fully by standing on our own feet and once again saying “Turkey, we need neither your money nor your officials”, demilitarize the whole island and reunite the island, no real future will be waiting for us.
Depending on aid from Turkey and living by begging for money at the doors of the aid commission of Turkey cannot be the fate of Turkish Cypriots. We can change this fate, and the place to change it is the streets. One of the tasks in front of us is to form a new leadership, a representation free from the hegemony of Turkey…
Under these conditions, the New Cyprus Party says, neither one nor the other…
The New Cyprus Party says; it can be without CTP, without UBP, and without Turkey, as well! We can establish our future without Ankara’s money or officials!
± Election aftermath
From the reasons mentioned above, we should be aware of the reality that as things stand now, measures have been taken for both the election process and after it.
The neo liberal policies which are dominant in many countries are also implemented as a general trend in Cyprus. The result of this on working life is to have the working people pay for the economic crisis.
For this reason, as in other parts of the world, the results of the economic crisis will be felt seriously this year in Cyprus, too, plus in addition to its own economic problems and with the imposition of Turkey, important social and economic decisions will be taken… And there is no reason why it would be difficult not to see that the aim is to bring the socio-economic standard of life to the same level that of Turkey. And of course, the reason why elections are being held early is to impose the bitter medicine from Turkey as soon as possible.
Similarly, there are the European Parliamentary elections in June and there is the high level European Council meeting in December where the progress report on Turkey’s EU accession process will be discussed. Most importantly, negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem are continuing. The fact that the stand of the Turkish Cypriot leadership is the continuation of the separate state, that it is indirectly working for recognition, and that it brings to the table proposals close to or resembling confederation stands out clearly as a known fact.
It is necessary to underline the fact that those who forget that in the Cyprus problem two “yes’s” are required, are no different from Eroglu who says “In Cyprus non-solution is a solution.” In both cases, the reality that awaits us is partition becoming permanent.
That is, not only in the socio-economic sphere, but it is understood that also in the political sphere, critical decisions will be taken after the elections or there are signs that it will be so.
In such conditions, the result of these elections will certainly be used to legitimize the decisions to be taken. Not only with the results, but by using the election process as well, calls will be made to the effect that the government was formed after democratic elections and that its decisions should be respected…
But why should it be necessary to be part of an election that will not reflect the will of the Cypriots, and as many times before no respect was shown to these results and no respect will be shown this time?
The New Cyprus Party also underlines the need to develop the methods of struggle against the fact that the election process will be used to legitimize the conditions that will appear after the elections…
± On cooperation and collaboration
As it has been emphasized in many of its decisions, the New Cyprus Party supports all forms of cooperation and collaboration that tolerate all differences, which is democratic and participatory, but not forceful, and based on principles. The most important principle for the New Cyprus Party is that the aim of these collaborations is based on struggle against the regime.
For this reason, the New Cyprus Party supports the work of the Cyprus Peace Platform[19] and it will contribute in any way it can so that it will work better…
But it has always approached the discussions on “election alliances” with criticism as soon as the conditions of the elections were announced and it has always explained that elections cannot be called elections unless the necessary measures are taken.
No interest was shown and there was no basis for discussion on the initiative to form a boycott/election alliance within the framework of resolution #1[20] after the May 2007 congress of the New Cyprus Party. At this stage, the condition to form election collaboration does not exist.
Although during the boycott process the New Cyprus Party will work with some other groups, it would be best to continue its own propaganda; because this is a necessity to prevent harming the propaganda process due to the contradictory phraseology of some political parties. In future processes it would be necessary to work harder to create a better foundation for discussing such issues. For this reason, the New Cyprus Party, together with the process that will follow after the elections, aims to work more effectively for cooperation and collaboration with all democratic mass organizations, with political parties, and with individuals to achieve firstly the conditions that elections can be called elections, for a civil and democratic society, and against being ruled with decrees.
In the meantime, it would be useful to recall a fact. It is known that under these conditions, the election of a few members of parliament would not mean that they are members of parliament in the true sense of the word; they would be powerless and far from being effective instruments of struggle. Turkey, who cannot even tolerate those who think themselves to be government, it is meaningful that it executes the policies on the Cyprus problem with the “president”, who according to the constitution has no authority. On top of this, it would not be possible for him to be under the threat of the principle ‘where there is no law there is no executive”; a rule which is valid in law-abiding states and to want parliament in his way. The members of parliament are persons who do not have the powers of a representative and do not even have the right to information. One has only to look retrospectively to see the cries of MPs in the press. The MP has no authority and no functionality, so no need to pay too much heed to it; the only result other than bragging to the effect that “I gain so many votes I have so many MPs” can be obtained when, despite all, the possibility to reach a true majority is increased.
± We are not party to these elections
After evaluating all these conditions, the New Cyprus Party decides how to use the election platform:
- The conditions do not exist to participate in the elections and use them for propaganda purposes; for this reason, we decide to work hard for a boycott and to create the conditions where people can show that they are not party to all this;
- To follow a propaganda process where the legitimacy of the elections could be questioned by exposing especially the demographic structure[21] and the interventions of the military and civil authorities of Turkey and by taking all this to the international public opinion;
- This Congress assigns the Party Council and other organs the duty of taking the necessary steps to strengthen the organizational structure of the New Cyprus Party by organizing mass meetings through joining them with Party organizational activities and by using meetings and mass media for political activities.
The New Cyprus Party has been in the struggle for 20 years and will continue to be so, for the removal of all occupations from Cyprus, for the total demilitarization of the island, for the reunification of Cyprus and Cypriots, for a Cyprus with no borders and weapons, with no soldiers and no guarantors, and a socialist Cyprus…
The New Cyprus Party calls upon all Cypriots to boycott the agents’ elections in order to claim their future and to unite within the ranks of the New Cyprus Party for struggle…
It was decreed that “you go to the ballot box and legitimize all the happenings”; do not let them trick you and do not get tricked, do not fall into their trap, reject it and do not be a party to it; let us make our own the slogan “no to rule by decree”, let this country be ours!
The solution is power from the streets; the solution is the reunification of Cyprus and Cypriots; the solution depends on you;
Do not join the elections of window display, join the struggle, show your rebellion, raise your head and take your future into your hands! In other words, be yourself. The future of tomorrow is in the streets!
Join the struggle against the regime and BOYCOTT the agents’ elections!
[1] The administration of the northern part of Cyprus is defined by several ECHR decisions as a subordinate local administration of Turkey.
[2] ORP is the Freedom and Reform Party, a conservative party established in 2007, other political organizations accuse them to be satellites of AKP; http://www.ozgurparti.com/
[3] CTP -ORP (30/09/2006); CTP -DP (19/01/2005); UBP-TKP (12/01/1999); DP-CTP (12/1/1994);
UBP-TKP (19/07/1985)
[4] Yenicag (New Era) Newspaper is a weekly newspaper which is published since September 2, 1990 and belongs to the New Cyprus Party; www.yenicag.com.cy
[5] President of TRNC which is only recognized by Turkey; the international community define him as a Turkish Cypriot Community leader
[6] This population includes settlers, legal and illegal workers of Turkish origin.
[7] The narrative of the Turkish Nationalism generalizes the use of the terms “Greeks” and “Greek Cypriots” by describing them as “Greeks”
[8] Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation: “The penal code provisions criminalising homosexual intercourse in Cyprus are remnants of British Colonial legislation which the Republic of Cyprus was forced to repeal after a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (Modinos v. Cyprus). Although, the European Convention on Human Rights is applicable in North Cyprus, amending the relevant sections of the law has never been demanded or discussed in Parliament. The protection of LGBT rights has no place on the agenda or the policies of the government and does not have sufficient public awareness.” http://www.ktihv.org/Eng/content/view/43/13/
[9] The name of the Civil Defence Organization was also heard when Kutlu Adali was murdered on the 6th of July 1996. Adali was a writer and a journalist, who had a column in Yeniduzen Newspaper. He was writing articles against the regime and when he wrote about the looting of the St. Barnabas Church where the Civil Defence Organization was involved, he got death threats and calls were made to Yeniduzen Newspaper by this organization, complaining of Adalis articles. The commander of the Civil Defence Organization then, was Galip Mendi, who is currently the general commander of the military authority in northern Cyprus. When Galip Mendi was appointed to this post, the media accused him in Turkey, linking his name with the assassination of Kutlu Adali.
[10] UHH is the National People’s Movement, a paramilitary organization; the Coordinator of UHH is Taner Etkin, a former counsellor to Denktash and ‘Minister of Foreign Affairs’; http://www.ykpgenclik.org/english/report.htm
The movement’s daily, Yeni Volkan, regularly prints articles threatening journalists and politicians working for pro-opposition daily papers http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10137
[11] GKK is the Turkish Cypriot Army which is under the direct control of the Turkish Armed Forces and its commander is appointed from the Turkish General Staff in Ankara.
[12] BDH is the Peace and Democracy Movement which is a coalition of three parties, the Communal Liberation Party (TKP), the United Cyprus Party (BKP) and the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP), with the support of some trade unions and NGOs.
[13] Dev-is is the Federation of Revolutionary Trade Unions
[14] Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation: “Torture and inhuman treatment cases by the police are frequently reported and lawyers and the TCHRF are pressing authorities to truly investigate them.”
http://www.ktihv.org/Eng/content/view/43/13/
latest report about torture and inhuman treatment cases by the police http://www.ktihv.org/Tr/content/view/105/50/
[15] “The northern part of Cyprus applies conscription, but its current legal basis is unclear. Probably the laws and regulations pertaining to it are derived from and similar to the Turkish military service laws. (…)There is no legal provision for conscientious objection
http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/archive/cyprusnorth.htm
[16] CPJ: Turkey’s attorney general, who has jurisdiction in North Cyprus, opened a case against Serhat Incirli, correspondent for the daily Afrika, on allegations of insulting Turkey in articles that criticized the Turkish presence in Cyprus and ascribed racist elements to the Turkish national anthem and history books, according to CPJ sources and local press reports.” http://cpj.org/2008/02/attacks-on-the-press-2007-snapshotsattacks-develop-7.php#cyp
CPJ: “Police in northern Cyprus arrested reporter Pallikarides and cameraman Dalitis of the private television network, Sigma TV, who were interviewing Turkish Cypriot shopkeepers on Ledra Street in the capital Nicosia, local and international press reported.” http://cpj.org/2006/08/cyprus-tv-crew-arrested-at-nicosia-crossing.php
IPI: “Two local TV crews from the Republic of Cyprus were arrested during the summer by the local Turkish authorities, while filming in the Famagusta area. One television crew from the state broadcaster CyBC from the Republic of Cyprus was arrested in July. The other television crew consisting of journalist Sotiris Papadopoulos, and cameraman Tasos Demetriades, from Antenna TV from the Republic of Cyprus, was arrested by Turkish troops in Famagusta on 14 August, but freed after two days.” http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=/KW0001/KW0003/KW0055/&year=2006
[17] BRT is the “state” owned television and radio station which was established before 1974 as TMT’s radio
[18] ITEM (Law for Housing, Allocation of Land, and Property of Equal Value) is the acronym of a law providing housing and land to settlers and Turkish Cypriots.
PRIO’s report; ‘The Politics of Property in Cyprus’: “The İTEM law established an exchange system of ‘points’ within which values of properties (Greek Cypriot properties in the north and Turkish Cypriot properties in the south) and compensation were stipulated. These ‘points’ can be exchanged for equal value (expressed in points) Greek Cypriot property in the north. They can also be traded (bought or sold) and donated. ‘Points’ as compensation are awarded to: persons who left properties in the south; mücahits (fighters in the Turkish Cypriot resistance struggle); closest relatives of martyrs or victims of the events of 1963–74 (martyr being a person killed during the resistance); members of the Turkish forces who fought in the 1974 war and, having received citizenship, settled on the island; veteran soldiers disabled during fighting. Also, immigrants from Turkey who were settled in northern Cyprus as an agricultural labour force in 1975–81 were allowed to purchase ‘points’ at a nominal rate from the government. (On this latter category, see Mete Hatay, Beyond Numbers: Inquiry into the Political Integration of Turkish ‘Settlers’ in Northern Cyprus, PRIO Report 4/2005, pp. 13–14.)
http://www.prio.no/upload/Cyprus%20Property%20Report%202%20Trimmed%20(corrected).pdf
[19] Cyprus Peace Platform is a platform consisting of 3 political parties (YKP, BKP and TDP) and 8 trade unions and NGO’s including the two teachers’ trade unions.
[20] http://www.ykp.org.cy/YKP_9_congress_documantation.pdf
[21] http://www.ykp.org.cy/population/populationatnorthernpartofCyprus.pdf
