Özersay: Political Decay Caused by Government Is Harming National Struggle

A delegation from the People’s Party visited the Sönmezliler Association in Nicosia and met with its chairman, Erden Esenyel, and association members.

Özersay was accompanied by Nicosia District Chairman Mustafa Kendir, as well as a large delegation comprising party officials and new members from the public and private sectors.

During the visit, the HP delegation and Özersay briefed association members on recent developments in the country and outlined the party’s proposed solutions, while also answering questions from those attending.

Esenyel said at the beginning of the visit that they were closely following the People’s Party’s work and wished the party success in the election and in the new responsibilities it would undertake following the vote.

Speaking during the visit, Özersay said the UBP-DP-YDP government had undermined public confidence in the state and its institutions by creating a controversial situation involving numerous senior bureaucrats and officials appointed by the government, amid serious allegations ranging from fake diplomas to bribery and other forms of corruption, as well as police investigations.

“Unfortunately, the political decay caused by the government over the past four years has harmed the national struggle. The state and its institutions must be urgently restored and rebuilt on the basis of the rule of law, in a transparent and accountable manner. Through the national struggle waged over so many years, we gradually reached the point of having a state of our own. It is unacceptable for this achievement to be sacrificed to populism and a corrupt political mindset. We have to rebuild the state, and in the new period we will take responsibility and work hard to achieve this,” Özersay said.

“We Will Ensure the Formation of a Legitimate Government”

Özersay said the country had experienced an anomaly in 2022 when the people who were supposed to become prime minister returned their mandates overnight, while an ordinary MP was made prime minister and subsequently party leader.

“This was extremely damaging both to democracy in the country and to the institutionalisation of the state. An illegitimate government began by disregarding the Constitution and subsequently created a structure that lacked both partisan and social legitimacy in many areas. Following the elections, the People’s Party will ensure the formation not of just any government, but of a legitimate government,” he said.

“We Have Learned From the Past Decade and Are Ready With a Strong Team”

Özersay said the People’s Party had experienced some painful episodes during the decade since its establishment in 2016, but had learned from those experiences without abandoning its struggle.

“We have carried out self-criticism, learned lessons from what we have experienced and are ready with a strong team to take responsibility for governing the country in the new period following the election. We are determined to form long-lasting and stable governments in the new period,” he said.