Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar responds to criticism of being 'Ankara's parrot'

Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, backed by Turkey, has criticized former President Mustafa Akıncı after Akıncı in April referred to Tatar as “Ankara's parrot” and said that he was “acting in the shadow of Turkey.” “According to him [Akıncı], Tatar is Ankara's parrot. Look at this mentality, then whose parrot are you Mr. Akıncı? Who do you work for, what is your aim? An empty aim,” Tatar said on Sept. 6.

Tuesday September 07 2021 11:39 am

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar are seen in this file photo.

Duvar English

Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar has responded to former President Mustafa Akıncı's previous labeling of him as a “parrot,” saying his main aim was to “give more welfare, happiness and a secure future to the Turkish Cypriot people with the support of the motherland.”

“We owe a duty of loyalty to Turkey. I have critics, foremost Akıncı who has been saying something new every day. Who is Tatar? According to him [Akıncı], Tatar is Ankara's parrot. Look at this mentality, then whose parrot are you Mr. Akıncı? Who do you work for, what is your aim? An empty aim,” Tatar said on Sept. 6 in the Turkish Central Anatolian province of Konya.

Tatar was in Konya upon an invitation of the Governor's Office and the Metropolitan Municipality, where he attended a meeting organized in the Selçuk Congress Center.

In his speech, Tatar talked about the establishment of Turkish Cyprus and the U.N.-backed Cyprus peace talks.

The latest round of peace talks ended without a resolution in April in Geneva. Ankara insisted on a two-state solution, whereas the Greek side rejected the proposal as having “not one single chance” of success.

Prior to the talks, Akıncı commented on how the negotiations would shape, referring to Tatar as a “parrot of Ankara.”

On April 24, Akıncı said that Tatar had assumed the Presidential position “not with his own power, but through threats, money, promises and blackmailing,” according to daily Kıbrıs Postası. Saying that Tatar was acting “in the shadow of Turkey,” Akıncı further noted: “He will exhibit a behavior in Geneva in a way of being Ankara's parrot.”

In June, a team of Turkish Cypriot academics, NGO representatives, lawyers and researchers released a report documenting Turkey's intervention in the Turkish Cyprus presidential elections.

The report said that people who described themselves as Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officials had threatened Turkish Cypriot presidential candidates to withdraw from the 2020 October elections.

On Oct. 18, 2020, right-wing nationalist Tatar scored a surprise victory in the run-off presidential election in the breakaway island, ousting pro-reunification incumbent Akıncı.