National Unity Party (Northern Cyprus)

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National Unity Party
Ulusal Birlik Partisi
LeaderÜnal Üstel
FounderRauf Denktaş
Founded11 October 1975; 48 years ago (1975-10-11)
HeadquartersNorth Nicosia
IdeologyNational conservatism
Turkish nationalism
Two-state solution
Political positionRight-wing
European affiliationEuropean Conservatives and Reformists (until 2022)
Colors  Orange   White   Black
Parliament
24 / 50
Municipalities
6 / 18
Website
ulusalbirlikpartisi.com

The National Unity Party (Turkish: Ulusal Birlik Partisi, UBP) is a political party in Northern Cyprus. The UBP party was founded by Rauf Denktaş on 11 October 1975. The party was in power from its creation until the 2003 elections with the exception of the period from 1994–1996. Ideologically, it has been variously described as conservative, Turkish nationalism, liberal conservative, and national-conservative.[1] The party is positioned on the right-wing of the political spectrum,[2] and it supports a two-state solution to the Cyprus dispute.[3][4][5] Until April 2022, the party was a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, which it had joined in April 2017.[6]

In the 2005 Northern Cypriot presidential election, the party's candidate Derviş Eroğlu amassed 22.8% of the votes. In the 2009 Northern Cypriot parliamentary election, the party won 44% of the popular vote and 26 out of 50 seats, forming a majority government led by Eroğlu.[7] The party also won the 2010 Northern Cyprus presidential election with Eroğlu as its candidate, and the 2020 Northern Cypriot presidential election with Ersin Tatar as its candidate. From 2016 until 2018 Northern Cypriot parliamentary election, the party was the senior partner in a minority government with the Democratic Party, with its leader Hüseyin Özgürgün serving as prime minister. It had previously been a junior partner in a coalition government with the Republican Turkish Party, preceded by a period as the opposition party between 2013 and 2015.[8] Since January 2023, the party has been led by Ünal Üstel, who replaced Faiz Sucuoğlu.[9]

Election results[edit]

Assembly of the Republic
Election Votes Seats Role Notes
No. % Rank No. ±
1976 408,380 53.8 1st new Government
1981 431,732 42.5 1st Decrease 12 Government
1985 546,582 36.8 1st Increase 6 Government
1990 954,592 54.7 1st Increase 10 Government
1993 535,316 29.8 1st Decrease 18 Opposition In government from 1996
1998 440,626 40.3 1st Increase 8 UBP–DP coalition
2003 439,249 32.9 2nd Decrease 6 Opposition
2005 410,813 31.7 2nd Increase 1 Opposition
2009 622,804 44.1 1st Increase 7 Government
2013 339,864 27.3 2nd Decrease 12 Opposition In government from 2016
2018 1,907,030 35.6 1st Increase 7 Government In government from 2019
2022 1,971,400 39.5 1st Increase 3 UBP–DPYDP coalition

Party leaders[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2022). "Northern Cyprus". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Turkish Cypriots vote under shadow of economic crisis". Nicosia. Agence-France Press. 23 January 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024 – via France24. Opinion polls indicate that the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), which envisions a two-state solution to the island's division, will do the best in the election for a new parliament, where it holds 21 seats.
  3. ^ Morley, Nathan (19 April 2009). "Turkish Cypriots Vote Could Complicate Reunification Talks". Nicosia. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 22 April 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2024 – via VOA News.
  4. ^ Varnava, Andrekos; Yakinthou, Christalla (2011). "Cyprus: Political Modernity and the Structures of Democracy in a Divided Island". In Hendriks, Frank; Lidström, Anders; Loughlin, John (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 469. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199562978.003.0020. ISBN 978-0-1915-9471-7. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024 – via Oxford Academic.
  5. ^ Gültekin, Bahadır (16 November 2019). "Cyprus talks cannot last forever: Turkish Cypriot PM". Hürriyet Daily News. Istanbul. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Welcome to our new member parties". ACRE Europe. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. ^ Morley, Nathan (30 April 2009). "Cyprus Peace Talks Face Dual Threat". Nicosia. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2024 – via VOA News.
  8. ^ "KKTC'de Kalyoncu başbakanlığındaki yeni koalisyon hükümetine onay" [Approval for the new coalition government led by Kalyoncu prime minister in TRNC]. NTV (in Turkish). 15 July 2015. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  9. ^ Tarihi, Yayın (1 November 2021). "UBP'nin yeni Genel Başkanı Faiz Sucuoğlu oldu" [Faiz Sucuoğlu became the new Chairman of UBP]. Kıbrıs Postası (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.

External links[edit]