Turkish Cypriot parties’ reaction on the population census announced for 27 members

Under the title “We want observers for the population census”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (20.08.11) publishes the reactions of Turkish Cypriot political parties regarding the population census announced in the occupied areas of Cyprus for 27 November 2011.

The United Cyprus Party (BKP) has stated that the population census should be carried out by the United Nations (UN) in order for being “correct and reliable”. In a statement issued on Friday, Salih Efendi, member of BKP’s executive committee, said that the data given by the so-called State Planning Organization are not correct. He noted that population is transferred from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus contrary to all international agreements and the Geneva Convention. Efendi said that the Turkish Cypriots have been turned into minority in their own country and that the population is not known. “We do not trust the population census to be held by the UBP government”, he added.

The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CHP), Ozkan Yorgancioglu, stated that the population census must be held under the control of the “TRNC”. However, he argued the political parties must also have their own observers in the census.

On his part, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP), Serdar Denktas, said that the views of the political parties on the census must be taken. He said that they should trust themselves more than the UN.

Mehmet Cakici, leader of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), said that the census must be held under the supervision of the UN. Observers from international organizations and the EU must also be presented at the census, he added.