Denktaş: The will of this country is being increasingly eroded

THE will of the country is being “increasingly eroded”, independent presidential candidate Serdar Denktaş said after his poor performance in last Sunday’s election. Mr Denktaş, son of the late Rauf Denktaş, who was elected as Turkish Cypriot leader six times from 1976 to 2000, gained just 4.17 per cent of the votes on Sunday, leaving him bottom of the main candidates. It was the first time Serdar Denktaş has bid to become president in his 30-year career in politics.

Having cancelled a planned press conference once the results emerged, Mr Denktaş issued a statement in which he said: “We have left another election period behind. I am not happy with the votes I have got. However, there is another subject that we have to speak of: half of our people did not vote. The most important issue is that the will of this country is increasingly being eroded.

“I would like to thank my family, my colleagues and members of the press who helped me to express my messages to people.”

On Wednesday Mr Denktaş, a Democrat Party (DP) MP, sensationally announced he was quitting the DP after 28 years in the party, 21 of which were as its leader.

“During the election period, I called on our people to claim our will,” he wrote in a social media post.

“If the DP doesn’t stand up for their honour, then I have to stand up for my own honour. I conveyed my decision to the [ DP] Central Executive Committee on Tuesday night.

“These two candidates [Mr Tatar and Mr Akıncı] were my competitors in the first round [of the presidential elections] and I have criticised both of them.

“While I was trying to express my opinions, I faced different accusations. I will vote with my own will on Sunday and I will not try to shape anyone else’s will. I will keep respecting the president, whoever is elected.”