14 FEBRUARY 2013 - 14H30
For Turkish Cypriots, it's election, what election?
Boats are docked at the Turkish-held port of Kyrenia in the self declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) 17 July 2007. In the coffee shops of Kyrenia, a picturesque Mediterranean harbour in the Turkish-held north, most people don't even know the candidates' names in Sunday's election for the island's new Greek Cypriot president.
AFP - In the coffee shops of Kyrenia, a picturesque Mediterranean harbour in the Turkish-held north, most people don't even know the candidates' names in Sunday's election for the island's new Greek Cypriot president.
Many of the clientele are mainland Turks on holiday or British pensioners who live in the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is technically a part of the EU member state.
As for the Turkish Cypriots, they hold out little hope that the vote in the south will bring about any change to the almost four-decade-long division of the island.
"We tried (outgoing President Demetris) Christofias. I hope the new one will be better," Mustafa Mukhtaroglu said without any real conviction, despite hopes of a normalisation that will lift an international boycott of the TRNC.
"We see that in the newspaper, on television ... Most people in the north are hopeful that maybe this will be a step to some solution," said retired engineer Tamer Ratif.
"I am a bit hopeful ... or let's say, I am optimistic," he said with a smile, to the strong disapproval of a neighbour. "It might affect us. But it is their election, their internal problem. We don't have a say."
Turkish mainland troops invaded the northern third of the island in 1974 after a short-lived coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece. UN-mediated reunification talks have been deadlocked for several months, if not decades.
Ankara alone recognises the TRNC.
Around 600 Turkish Cypriots living in the south have the right to vote while a voting station has been set up for the 300 Greek Cypriots -- the so-called "enclaved" -- still living in the north.
"Not much will change because already they have economic problems themselves," said Hussein Aksayn, who runs a jewellery shop in Kyrenia, a town with a perfect horseshoe-shaped harbour.
He said the new Greek Cypriot leader will be tied up with a battle to bring back Cyprus from the brink of bankruptcy, rather than the "national issue" of a long-elusive reunification.
"Akel (of Christofias) and the CTP party (of former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat) were very friendly ... We hoped a solution was very close. But it did not work. So now it's too early to say for the next election," said Aksayn.
Hussein Isiksal, an assistant professor at Girne (Kyrenia) American University (GAU), said Turkish Cypriots have grown weary with Greek Cypriot politics and disillusioned ever since the Greek Cypriots voted down a UN peace plan in 2004.
"We have our own problems in the north," he said, pointing to TRNC local elections being held in April.
The Turkish Cypriots "have lost hope in the Greek Cypriots. People say: 'Since Greek Cypriots don't care about us, why should we care about them? We should start looking for other options,'" Isiksal said.
He pointed out that Greek Cypriot election frontrunner Nicos Anastasiades had lobbied for the 2004 plan, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Turkish Cypriots, but doubted he would have much room for manoeuvre. FRANCE 24
Many of the clientele are mainland Turks on holiday or British pensioners who live in the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is technically a part of the EU member state.
As for the Turkish Cypriots, they hold out little hope that the vote in the south will bring about any change to the almost four-decade-long division of the island.
"We tried (outgoing President Demetris) Christofias. I hope the new one will be better," Mustafa Mukhtaroglu said without any real conviction, despite hopes of a normalisation that will lift an international boycott of the TRNC.
"We see that in the newspaper, on television ... Most people in the north are hopeful that maybe this will be a step to some solution," said retired engineer Tamer Ratif.
"I am a bit hopeful ... or let's say, I am optimistic," he said with a smile, to the strong disapproval of a neighbour. "It might affect us. But it is their election, their internal problem. We don't have a say."
Turkish mainland troops invaded the northern third of the island in 1974 after a short-lived coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece. UN-mediated reunification talks have been deadlocked for several months, if not decades.
Ankara alone recognises the TRNC.
Around 600 Turkish Cypriots living in the south have the right to vote while a voting station has been set up for the 300 Greek Cypriots -- the so-called "enclaved" -- still living in the north.
"Not much will change because already they have economic problems themselves," said Hussein Aksayn, who runs a jewellery shop in Kyrenia, a town with a perfect horseshoe-shaped harbour.
He said the new Greek Cypriot leader will be tied up with a battle to bring back Cyprus from the brink of bankruptcy, rather than the "national issue" of a long-elusive reunification.
"Akel (of Christofias) and the CTP party (of former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat) were very friendly ... We hoped a solution was very close. But it did not work. So now it's too early to say for the next election," said Aksayn.
Hussein Isiksal, an assistant professor at Girne (Kyrenia) American University (GAU), said Turkish Cypriots have grown weary with Greek Cypriot politics and disillusioned ever since the Greek Cypriots voted down a UN peace plan in 2004.
"We have our own problems in the north," he said, pointing to TRNC local elections being held in April.
The Turkish Cypriots "have lost hope in the Greek Cypriots. People say: 'Since Greek Cypriots don't care about us, why should we care about them? We should start looking for other options,'" Isiksal said.
He pointed out that Greek Cypriot election frontrunner Nicos Anastasiades had lobbied for the 2004 plan, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Turkish Cypriots, but doubted he would have much room for manoeuvre. FRANCE 24
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