The four-party coalition government in North Cyprus has officially collapsed on Thursday after Prime Minister Tufan Erhurman handed in his resignation to leader Mustafa Akinci following a rift between the partners over the lease of state land to the son of Serdar Denktash.
Erhurman’s resignation followed those of two of his coalition partners, the head of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Ozersay who was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Democratic Party Serdar Denktash who was Finance Minister.
The other two parties forming the coalition were Erhurman’s Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) headed by Cemal Ozyigit who was ‘Minister of Education’.
Premier and coalition leader Tufan Erhurman submitted the government’s resignation to President Mustafa Akinci after Minister of Finance Serdar Denktas resigned and the People’s Party announced its withdrawal on Wednesday, Turkish Agency Cyprus reported.
Akinci, who accepted the resignation, asked Erhurman to continue as prime minister until a new government was formed. he also has said he would give a few days to the parties to consult among themselves, while he will hold separate meetings next week with the heads of parliamentary parties.
Denktash resigned on Wednesday afternoon following reaction by his coalition partners after it emerged his ministry leased his son state land for 10 years for the construction of a university that would bear the name of former Turkish Cypriot leader, the late Rauf Denktash, his late father.
According to media reports in the, Erhurman said that it was important to form a new government as soon as possible due to the economic crisis the country was currently facing.
“It is important to have a stable government during times like these. I would like to wish the new government all the best because we are truly going through a difficult time,” he said.