Oğuz: UBP Will Emerge as the Largest Party

Interior Minister Dursun Oğuz appeared on Sabah Postası, a programme broadcast on Kıbrıs Postası TV and hosted by Gökhan Altıner.

Oğuz said the UBP would finish first in the election, arguing that the government’s four years of stable administration had enabled it to complete unfinished projects and make significant investments in education and healthcare. He also rejected claims that public borrowing was solely related to the payment of salaries.

“PROJECTS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITHOUT STABILITY”

Referring to the emphasis on stability by UBP leader and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Oğuz said the continuity of the government over the past four years had played an important role in completing projects.

Oğuz said many projects had remained unfinished in the past because of unstable governments, adding that priorities changed whenever governments changed. He argued that some administrations had been unable to complete projects, secure funding or maintain the necessary focus, while almost all unfinished projects had been completed under the current government.

“If it had not been for this stability, if it had not been for this four-year period, the hospitals that have now been completed might not have been finished. These schools might not have been completed. These roads might not have been completed,” Oğuz said.

He added that projects that should have been completed and made available to the public years ago had been delayed, but the current government had delivered these services.

“THE UBP IS A PARTY OF SERVICES AND INVESTMENT”

Oğuz said criticism of the government by the opposition was a natural part of politics, but argued that the investments made could not be ignored.

Referring to a hospital, Oğuz said: “Compared with yesterday, there was no building; today, there is a building.”

He noted that staffing and personnel requirements also needed to be addressed once a hospital was completed. Such processes could not be completed overnight and had to proceed in line with the state’s resources and staffing plans, he said.

Oğuz said the same applied to schools. After container classrooms were criticised, there had been calls for school buildings to be constructed, but construction inevitably required time.

“Even if you have the money, there are things you cannot do overnight,” Oğuz said, stressing that investments had to be carried out safely and in accordance with the law.

He said education and healthcare were the areas in which the public most frequently expressed needs and complaints, adding that the government had made major investments in both sectors. Emphasising the importance of completing infrastructure, Oğuz said hospitals were necessary to provide healthcare services and school buildings were essential for education to continue.

“ON ONE SIDE THERE ARE SERVICES, ON THE OTHER, PROMISES”

Oğuz said voters would compare political parties during the election campaign, arguing that the UBP’s completed projects and record of achievements would be weighed against the promises of other parties.

“On one side, there are promises; they say, ‘We are the party of promises.’ There are only promises there. On the other side, there are services. There is work that has been done and projects that have been completed,” he said.

Pointing to the UBP’s political history dating back to the establishment of the country, Oğuz said the party had an important place in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He added that individuals were temporary, while institutions endured.

Oğuz said party members, supporters and citizens should assess the government’s achievements, adding: “Through its achievements and with the support of the people, the UBP will emerge from the ballot box as the largest party.”

“IT IS WRONG TO LINK BORROWING SOLELY TO SALARY PAYMENTS”

Oğuz also responded to claims that the government had borrowed 3.5 billion TL to pay public employees’ salaries. He said it was incorrect to link the borrowing solely to salary payments, adding that the state’s revenues and expenditures were managed within a broader financial plan.

Oğuz said the fact that borrowing took place close to salary payment dates did not mean the funds were used exclusively for salaries. The state had other financial obligations during the same period, he added.

Noting that payments such as medicine procurement tenders were also included in financial planning, Oğuz said there could be a shortfall when other obligations arose, even during periods when tax and other revenues were sufficient to cover salary payments.

He said public borrowing should be assessed by examining total revenues and expenditures during the relevant period, including salaries, other public spending and all of the state’s financial obligations.