Turkish FM’s comment leads to new political row
A FRESH political row about the way the TRNC should be governed erupted this week after Turkey’s foreign minister suggested that North Cyprus should adopt a “presidential” system.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said difficulties in forming a new coalition government after Turkish Cypriots went to the polls on January 7 would have been averted had a presidential form of government been in place.
The general election in the TRNC, which has a parliamentary-based system, saw no party manage to win enough seats to rule on its own, meaning a new coalition of at least two parties will have to be formed, raising the spectre of fresh elections.
“A debate of having a presidential system [in the TRNC] has begun following the election,” Mr Çavuşoğlu said last week. “This could happen. What is important is for democracy to work. What is important is the separation of powers. We [in Turkey] passed to a presidential system. We have already seen the benefits of this.”
Under a presidential system the president is typically the head of the executive branch of government, separate from the legislative branch.
In a parliamentary system, the main decisionmaking powers lie with a prime minister and Cabinet, usually led by the biggest party. In the TRNC, the president is the directly elected head of state and the negotiator in the Cyprus talks. He approves laws passed by Parliament but has no direct say, however, over the way the country is run.
Mr Çavuşoğlu’s remarks brought a mixed response from the TRNC’s political parties. Dursun Oğuz, general secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP), which won 21 of the 50 seats in Parliament at the election, said: “Before and now, the UBP has given a positive view on having a presidential system . . . This can only be achieved in Parliament through a consensus.”
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Gazimağusa MP Asım Akansoy, whose party came second in the vote, said during a television interview he would be against a presidential system “if it is going to be like a one-man regime like in Turkey”.
Former president and exCTP leader Mehmet Ali Talat said, however, that he was in favour of switching to a presidential form of governance.
“There are risks and dangers but these can be addressed through certain regulations,” he said.
“South Cyprus has a presidential system. If there is a solution tomorrow, the federal Cyprus will have a presidential system. Therefore, why can’t the TRNC have this today?
“Some criticise this [system], using Turkey as an example. But I am . . . talking about a model that is appropriate to us Turkish Cypriots.”
Tolga Atakan, of the People’s Party, now the third biggest party in Parliament after its general election debut, said a “public consensus” had not yet been formed on the issue but that it should be “definitely be brought to the table [for debate]”.
However Social Democratic Party (TDP) general-secretary Asım İdris questioned “whether we are even fully implementing the parliamentary system”. He said a US presidential model would not be appropriate for the TRNC because of the wide range of views within Turkish Cypriot politics, in contrast to the domination of two parties in the US.