Different versions have emerged from businesswoman Sibel Tatar, wife of former Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, and leader of the People’s Party (HP), Kudret Özersay, over whether she was formally invited during a meeting to run as a candidate in the upcoming so‑called “parliamentary elections” in the north.
According to the Turkish Cypriot online press, Tatar responded in a written statement to comments made by HP Secretary General Turgut Alas, maintaining that the meeting took place at the personal invitation of Özersay for coffee. She said that during the meeting Özersay himself proposed that she join the party’s candidate list as an “appointed candidate”, without the obligation to become a party member. Tatar stressed that public information should be accurate and accompanied her statement with a poem reflecting on the value of truth, which she said is often lost amid political expediencies.
Responding to her claims, Özersay confirmed that the meeting took place, noting that they discussed current developments and shared concerns about the situation in the Turkish Cypriot community. However, he distanced himself from Tatar’s interpretation, stating that “in such meetings, everyone is responsible for what they themselves say, not for how the other side understands it”.
The HP leader also said there was no error in previous statements by Alas, who had clarified that the party’s contacts with various individuals do not necessarily constitute an offer of candidacy. Özersay concluded by saying that the party will announce its candidates once the competent party council reaches final decisions. He added that conducting a public discussion through the media is not considered the appropriate way forward.
Source: CNA