Denktaş: Dividing Us Is the Greatest Betrayal to the Homeland

Speaking live on Yeni Bakış Web TV, Denktaş emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people have always loved, trusted, and stood by their motherland since the very beginning, but this bond has been damaged in recent years.

“Every period brings new efforts to polarize society, mainly for electoral gain,” Denktaş said. “They created debates about federation and two states—topics that weren’t even on the agenda—just to divide our people. These are campaign tactics. The people who push them don’t believe in what they say; they’re paid to do a job and go home. We should focus on what citizens are really experiencing, not their manipulations. Dividing us like this is, in itself, an act of treason against the homeland.”

He added that he does not distinguish between people in the country, saying, “No matter where one’s parents were born, anyone who will take their last breath on this land and loves this country is a Turkish Cypriot.”

“The Presidency and the Coalition Government Wasted Our Last Five Years”
Denktaş said that although Turkish Cypriots are a people proud of their motherland, who trust Turkey and see Anatolian people as brothers and sisters, these bonds have weakened. He stressed that relations with Turkey should always be strong, but a divisive mindset has emerged: “If you support the AKP, you’re seen as loving Turkey; if you don’t, you’re called pro-Greek. This mindset was created by the presidency and the coalition government that wasted our last five years. Citizens now want this to change.”

He continued, “Loving Turkey means loving Anatolia. For us, Turkey is the 85 million people of Anatolia. We should move forward with our own will and our own democracy.”

“After the Election, We’ll Focus on the Country’s Real Issues, Not the Cyprus Problem”
Denktaş underlined that everyone knows a federation will not happen and warned against believing claims that “if Tufan Erhürman wins, there will be federation talks” or that “Erhürman will hand us over to the Greek Cypriots.” Regardless of who wins, he said, after October 20 the focus will shift from the Cyprus issue to domestic challenges.

“The federation debate only resurfaced because of the election,” Denktaş said. “After October 20, we’ll be back to talking about the high cost of living, corruption, partisanship, and the economic decline, especially in the real estate and construction sectors. Investors who came here are being left unprotected, forcing them to face accusations.”

He dismissed as false the claim that if Erhürman wins, the guarantee and alliance agreements will be terminated. “These treaties are not in the hands of any Turkish Cypriot,” he said. “They were signed by Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Greece, and can only be revoked with their signatures. Such baseless claims only aim to instill fear among people. Turkey would never accept such a move. The presence of Turkish troops on the island is our key security guarantee and the foundation of peace.”

“They Don’t Care About Our Children’s Future”
Denktaş criticized the use of the Declaration of Independence in the election campaign, calling it an act of disrespect and indifference. “The Declaration of Independence is an inseparable part of our Constitution,” he said. “Those who use it as an election tool reveal their lack of confidence and belief in their own state. They don’t care about the future or about how our children live or how those who left will return. All they care about is how to divide society and turn it into votes.”

“If There’s Electoral Fraud, I’ll Take It to Court”
Expressing concern over the digital transfer of election data, Denktaş warned of possible external interference. “My biggest concern is election fraud—not vote-buying, but potential issues during the digital transfer of ballot data. We must take precautions. Our laws don’t currently allow for manual counting in case of objections. If I determine that my will as a voter has been distorted, I, Serdar Denktaş, will personally take the matter to court. Let’s continue to take pride in our democracy,” he said.

“Diplomacy Should Be Conducted With the Greek Cypriots, Not With Our Own People”
Denktaş criticized the government’s “active diplomacy” approach, saying diplomacy should be conducted externally, not internally. “Those who failed to respond diplomatically to Greek Cypriot moves now claim they’ll practice diplomacy with their own people. Everything under this so-called ‘active diplomacy’ banner is aimed inward,” he said.

“They are telling people, ‘If I’m re-elected, Turkey will do these things; if not, nothing will happen.’ No one has the right to push our motherland into such division,” Denktaş said, adding that all this would end on October 19 and calling on all citizens to go to the polls to bring change.