Reported by Northern Cyprus media! Invitation crisis with Ankara: 'Erdoğan is wary of Bahçeli'

In the presidential elections held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, who was supported by the People's Alliance, lost the election. The opposition candidate Tufan Erhürman emerged victorious from the ballot box. Following the election results, a remarkable silence has been observed on the Ankara-Nicosia line.

BAHÇELİ DID NOT ACCEPT THE ELECTION RESULT

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli reacted to the election results and called for the annexation of the TRNC by Turkey. Bahçeli described Erhürman's election as a "blow to the Cyprus cause."

The other partner of the People's Alliance, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), adopted a different stance. The AK Party leadership shared messages congratulating Tufan Erhürman. President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, however, did not make any negative statements regarding the election result.

Tuğrul Türkeş, son of MHP founder Alparslan Türkeş and an AKP Ankara MP, also shared his official letter congratulating Tufan Erhürman on his social media account. This post was interpreted in political circles as a "message to Bahçeli."

“NO RIFT” STATEMENT CAME

While there were comments in the lobbies about a disagreement within the People's Alliance, MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli responded to these claims at his group meeting. Bahçeli used the phrase, "There is no rift in our alliance." However, the differing approaches regarding the TRNC did not end the debates.

According to state protocol, newly elected TRNC Presidents are expected to make their first foreign visit to Turkey. However, no official invitation has been sent to Tufan Erhürman by President Erdoğan yet.

CYPRUS MEDIA: “ERDOĞAN IS WARY OF BAHÇELİ”

Today, the newspaper Kıbrıs brought the issue to the agenda with the headline, "Invitation crisis with Ankara: Erhürman is waiting, Erdoğan is silent." The report in the newspaper alleged that President Erdoğan is delaying the invitation out of fear of a possible reaction from MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.

The following statements were included in the report:

"It is being discussed in the lobbies that Erdoğan is wary of Bahçeli's criticisms regarding 'too many concessions to the TRNC' and is delaying the invitation. The tradition of Erhürman's 'first visit to Turkey' seems to have hit a wall of silence this time. As the wait drags on, the tradition of brotherhood is being replaced by a diplomatic chill."