Turkish Cypriots support Turkey's struggle in the "Blue Homeland," the area of Ankara's territorial claims in the Eastern Mediterranean region, a recent survey revealed.
According to a survey by the Gezici Research and Polling Company, which was conducted with 4,530 participants from Aug. 21-23, 76.8% of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) support Turkey's seismic and drilling work in the region, while 13.4% expressed otherwise.
Turkey, as a guarantor nation for the TRNC, is currently carrying out hydrocarbon exploration activities in the region. Ankara has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration's unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that the TRNC also has rights to resources in the area.
The survey revealed that 81% of the Turkish Cypriots surveyed see Turkey's guarantorship of a possible solution to the Cyprus crisis as a must, while 4.9% stated that they would prefer the guarantorship of the European Union or the United Nations.
Turkey's guarantor role, established in 1960 by the London and Zurich Agreement, has been in effect since its intervention against a 1974 military coup aimed at Cyprus' annexation by Greece.
While 78.2% of the participants stated that they demand a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue, 21.8% said that they want to form a federation with the Greek side.
The TRNC was established in 1983 on the northern tier of the island and is only recognized by Turkey. The country faces a longstanding embargo on commerce, transportation and culture.
The decades since have seen several attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute, all failing. The latest, held with the participation of the guarantor countries, came to an end with no signs of progress in 2017 in Switzerland.
"Turkish Cypriots show great sensitivity toward Turkish people who have been there for them in every circumstance. (Current Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa) Akıncı's presidency and his stance toward Turkey that minimizes the ties are being questioned by his own people. The Turkish Cypriot public cannot see a future without Turkey. They want good relations with Turkey," the company said in its survey report, adding that this attitude will make it harder for Akıncı to win the upcoming presidential elections.
As the TRNC prepares for presidential elections on Oct. 11, tensions in the country’s domestic politics have escalated recently.
Akıncı has previously been criticized for his anti-Ankara statements, claiming that the TRNC would become part of Turkey if it cannot reunify with the Greek Cypriots.
"If this failed to happen, he (Akıncı) said, the north (TRNC) would grow increasingly dependent on Ankara and could end up being swallowed up, as a de facto Turkish province," The Guardian cited Akıncı as saying in February.
Akıncı is the fourth president of the TRNC, an office he has held since 2015. Originally an architect, Akıncı’s political career began with the mayorship of the Turkish side of the capital province of Lefkoşa (Nicosia), which lasted for 14 years. He was a member of the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) that was founded in 2007 with an emphasis on social democracy and a united Cyprus, until his 2014 resignation.
In 2015, Akıncı raced in the presidential elections as an independent candidate and won by receiving 60.5% of the second-round votes. During his presidency, he gave importance to the resolution of the Cyprus issue and resumed negotiations with the leader of the Greek side, Nicos Anastasiades.
Expressing the view that the presidential elections might go to the second round, Turkish Cypriots stated in the survey that current Prime Minister Ersin Tatar is likely to win over Akıncı in the end and become the new president of the country. Just over 50% of the participants stated that they will vote for Tatar in the elections, while 49.2% expressed support for Akıncı.
While 54.3% of the participants labeled Akıncı's performance as president as unsuccessful, 58.3% said that his presidency harmed ties with Turkey.
When it comes to expectations from a new president, 71.1% of the participants said they demand good relations with Turkey. This expectation is followed by a demand to solve the Cyprus crisis, at 62.9%.