YDP: “An Intensive Campaign Blamed Arıklı Solely for the Disaster”

In a written statement, Yılmaz said the cause of the disaster was being investigated by an Accident Investigation Team from Turkey together with local experts. He described efforts to declare Arıklı responsible before the investigation was completed as an “operation to shape public perception”.

“The Public Was Left With Claims and Speculation”

Yılmaz claimed Arıklı had wanted to hold a press conference with his team the day after the disaster to inform the public, but that the meeting was blocked by the Prime Minister.

As a result, he said, the public was left for days with various claims, comments and information and documents of disputed accuracy rather than official information.

Yılmaz said it was deeply upsetting that the cries of grieving relatives were also being used as material for political purposes.

“The Timing of His Dismissal Is Striking”

Yılmaz said Arıklı announced that he would ask Parliament to lift his immunity and that the Ports Department should be placed under the Prime Ministry in the interests of the investigation. He said Arıklı was dismissed by the Prime Minister approximately 90 minutes later.

Yılmaz said the Prime Minister could have met with Arıklı and requested his resignation in line with political ethics and established practice, but instead chose to dismiss him, leaving the public to assess the reasons behind the decision.

He claimed that no minister had resigned or been dismissed on grounds of political responsibility during previous accidents, scandals and crises in the political history of the TRNC.

Yılmaz said the strong calls for Arıklı’s resignation before the investigation had concluded, together with the Prime Minister’s decision to dismiss him, should be assessed by the public and YDP supporters.

He made a similar claim regarding Ministry Undersecretary Enver Öztürk, saying Öztürk was dismissed just one hour after submitting his resignation.

“Opposition to Arıklı and YDP Is Not Limited to the TRNC”

Yılmaz also claimed that opposition to Arıklı and YDP extended beyond political circles in the TRNC.

He referred to a September 4 statement by former AKEL European Parliament member Niyazi Kızılyürek, who lives in the south, in which Kızılyürek allegedly called for Arıklı to be arrested and extradited to the Republic of Cyprus.

Yılmaz also claimed that a trade union leader in the TRNC had made similar remarks, arguing that Arıklı did not even have the right to live in the country.

“They Want to Turn the Disaster Into Political Gain”

Yılmaz claimed that circles opposed to Arıklı and YDP, including UBP, were attempting to declare Arıklı and YDP responsible for the disaster before the investigation had been completed.

He said this clearly demonstrated an attempt to turn the tragedy and the suffering it had caused into political gain and a political reckoning.

Yılmaz said YDP would not allow the disaster to be exploited for political gain ahead of the upcoming elections.

“YDP supporters are aware of what is happening,” he said.

“Our Priority Is Finding the Missing”

Yılmaz stressed that YDP’s priority at this stage was not politics but locating those still missing.

He said the party would end its silence once search and rescue operations were completed and would make more detailed and comprehensive statements in public based on the information and documents in its possession and developments in the case.

“For now, we are devoting all our energy to finding our missing people and bringing an end to the families’ suffering as soon as possible,” Yılmaz said.