The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhürman, made significant statements regarding the country’s economic, social, and political crises. Criticizing the so-called government sharply, Erhürman said, “There is a dead mentality concerning the future of this country. We are forced to continue talking about the damage caused by that mentality.” Appearing on Ada TV with Nupelda Karabuğday, Erhürman emphasized that the issues related to foreign workers could have been anticipated.
*Foreign Workers and Planning Deficiencies*
Erhürman pointed out that the current state of foreign workers could have been foreseen, stating, “We talked about an economic, social, and cultural development plan. We needed to know the population, who would come, under what conditions they would come, and plan accordingly. We had emphasized what could happen if these were not planned, but this issue did not fall within the interest area of the mentality we are facing.” Erhürman noted that the signals of these problems were given in advance, but the “government” did not take action, and now the results are being faced.
*Crisis in Education and Health*
Erhürman stated that the issues in education and health have also been apparent, saying, “There is a dead mentality concerning the future of this country. That mentality has nothing left to say. It has no goal.” He criticized public oversight, saying, “The public authority that should oversee has, instead, become a stakeholder in these issues by stepping outside of oversight.”
*Citrus Crisis and Human Rights Violations*
Addressing problems in the citrus sector, Erhürman said, “Citrus fruits were discarded. But people were brought to the country for this work. Why are these people still here? How are they being housed? There are severe human rights violations, and this situation has been reported to the police.” Erhürman noted that the investigation would continue with the police involvement and explained how the pre-permission system works and the conditions for housing foreign workers.
*“Dangerous Trajectory”*
Continuing his criticism of the “government,” Erhürman stated that it has not taken responsibility for the events of the past five years. “These five years are marked by explosions that happened during the period of your governance. We have always said it is a dangerous trajectory. We talked about planning, explained it. They closed their eyes and crashed into the wall,” he said. Erhürman emphasized that the “government” has done nothing in many areas, from property sales to foreigners to crises in education and health.
*Kıb-Tek and Economic Issues*
Erhürman highlighted issues with the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority (Kıb-Tek), saying, “This mentality has never advocated for the autonomy of Kıb-Tek. Such significant problems in Kıb-Tek have never occurred before. There has never been an issue like fuel arriving late.” He criticized the waste of resources in public institutions and noted that one of the country’s most important revenue sources, VAT, has been lost to the economy in the south.
*Deepening Inequality in Education*
Erhürman addressed issues in the education system, saying, “We are talking about container classrooms. Why have container classrooms increased so much? Because you cannot control the population.” He highlighted the financial constraints of schools, stating, “Schools have no money. There is no money for toilet paper. We know that the yearbook’s money is already collected.” He stressed the lack of opportunity equality in education and noted that prices in the south have become cheaper compared to the north. Erhürman cited a KTTO President’s remark, “May God protect those who cannot move to the south,” indicating the south’s significant price drop compared to the north.
*Cyprus Issue and Negotiation Process*
On the Cyprus issue, Erhürman said, “For the past two or three years, we have been saying that if a new negotiation process starts, it should not be with the old methodology. We have explained this not only to our community but also to the UN, the EU, and everyone.” He noted the difficulties with previous negotiation methods and emphasized that political equality should not be discussed in the new process, recalling the arguments presented by CTP so far.
*Lack of Interest in Governing*
Erhürman underscored that the current “government” is not interested in governing the country and solving its problems. He said, “Governing the country, creating a livable place for our children is not their concern. Their interests are in congresses, who will be what, who will be the minister.” Erhürman criticized the existing mentality for only making slogans and making life unbearable for people, stating, “As this mentality dies, it is leading the country to death as well.”
