Even though Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey and therefore, no other nation recognizes the country, and as a result their elections, still there was a great enthusiasm in the election time on the northern part of the island. 7 candidates campaigned in the elections; The four major candidates in the first round of the elections were, incumbent President of Northern Cyprus, independent candidate, Derviş Eroğlu who was supported by the National Unity Party and the Democratic Party, Speaker of the TRNC Parliament, Sibel Siber, candidate of the Republican Turkish Party, Independent Mustafa Akıncı who had the support of the Communal Democracy Party and the United Cyprus Party, and finally Independent Kudret Özersay. Out of the 7 candidates 3 of them Mustafa Onurer from Cyprus Socialist Party and two independent candidates Arif Salih Kırdağ and Mustafa Ulaş, did not make the news like the others and ended up getting around 1% of the votes altogether in the first round of the elections.
In the first round of the presidential elections in Northern Cyprus, which can be identified as the most important political event of 2015, on 19th of April, Derviş Eroğlu and Mustafa Akıncı made it to the second round having gained 28.15% and 26.94% respectively. Sibel Siber and Kudret Özersay with 22.53 and 21.25 % of the votes, did well but were not successful enough to make it to the second round. After the defeat of their candidate, Sibel Siber, Republican Turkish Party, which holds the majority in congress, announced their shock from the results and Prime Minister Yorgancıoğlu stated he would determine the leader of the party and he would not run as a candidate, they also supported Akıncı for the next round of the elections. Kudret Özersay, however, said he would support neither of the candidates. In the first round Akıncı gained 3 out of the five districts in Northern Cyprus, namely; Lefkoşa , Girne and Güzelyurt and Eroğlu won it in two: Gazimağusa and İskele.
In the second round, held on 26 April 2015, Akıncı swiped all 5 districts and gained an overall 60.50 % of the votes, which forced Eroğlu say goodbye to presidency and announce his retirement from politics.
The message of the votes were clear, the rightist candidate who won the majority vote in 2010, was defeated by the leftist candidate. This meant that people wanted change and in the victory rally held in İnönü Square of Nicosia, Akıncı made it crystal clear that he wants to deliver this change. After thanking the supporters and calling the elections a success for Cypriots, he repeated some of his promises, such as trying to achieve gender equality, giving political parties their freedom, and made his famous remarks regarding Turkey, which did not make the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, very happy. Akıncı said that the mother daughter relation between Turkey and Cyprus should turn into a mutual relation and a fraternal one.
In the first round of the presidential elections in Northern Cyprus, which can be identified as the most important political event of 2015, on 19th of April, Derviş Eroğlu and Mustafa Akıncı made it to the second round having gained 28.15% and 26.94% respectively. Sibel Siber and Kudret Özersay with 22.53 and 21.25 % of the votes, did well but were not successful enough to make it to the second round. After the defeat of their candidate, Sibel Siber, Republican Turkish Party, which holds the majority in congress, announced their shock from the results and Prime Minister Yorgancıoğlu stated he would determine the leader of the party and he would not run as a candidate, they also supported Akıncı for the next round of the elections. Kudret Özersay, however, said he would support neither of the candidates. In the first round Akıncı gained 3 out of the five districts in Northern Cyprus, namely; Lefkoşa , Girne and Güzelyurt and Eroğlu won it in two: Gazimağusa and İskele.
In the second round, held on 26 April 2015, Akıncı swiped all 5 districts and gained an overall 60.50 % of the votes, which forced Eroğlu say goodbye to presidency and announce his retirement from politics.
The message of the votes were clear, the rightist candidate who won the majority vote in 2010, was defeated by the leftist candidate. This meant that people wanted change and in the victory rally held in İnönü Square of Nicosia, Akıncı made it crystal clear that he wants to deliver this change. After thanking the supporters and calling the elections a success for Cypriots, he repeated some of his promises, such as trying to achieve gender equality, giving political parties their freedom, and made his famous remarks regarding Turkey, which did not make the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, very happy. Akıncı said that the mother daughter relation between Turkey and Cyprus should turn into a mutual relation and a fraternal one.
Akıncı responds, whose interview with CNN Türk was interrupted for Erdoğan's press conference coverage, responded immediately, “Doesn’t Turkey want to see its baby grow up? Should we always stay a baby?”. He continued that he will stand by his words.
Akıncı finished the interview soon after this, saying that he had to answer Erdoğan's phone call. On which Erdoğan congratulates him and asks whether Akıncı will have his first presidential visit to Turkey, and in return Akıncı responds, only if he was officially invited.
Soon after Mustafa Akinci was sworn in on 30th of April as the fourth president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and visits Turkey on May 6th. After the 2 hour long meeting between the presidents, in a joint press conference, Erdoğan states that Turkey will support TRNC at all times, and he hopes that 2015 will be the year of a solution.
Only a week after the visit to Turkey, which postponed the original arranged meeting between the presidents of both sides of the island, on May 14th, Akıncı and Nicos Anastasiades come together for a new push for reunification. For confidence-building measures, TRNC removes the required visa document procedure for the southerns to enter North and in return Anastasiades provides the Turkish counterpart with the plans of the mine fields in Northern part of the island. The two presidents agreed to have a minimum two meeting per month with eachother.
Only a week after the most promising start for negotiation start for reunification, for the very first time, the presidents of both sides, walked together on both sides of Nicosia, A.K.A. Lefkoşa , togther on May 23rd.
*All the mentioned information in this article has been gathered from data collected from various news organizations referencing Reuters or Associated Press.
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