Mehmet Harmanci never asked for the “mayor” title that sparked protests from the far-right ELAM party and led to his withdrawal from the upcoming Cyprus Forum, philenews understands.
The title came from the organisers, he said. A version of the agenda on the conference website listed him as “Mayor of Nicosia Turkish Municipality”, and organisers later said that version was not final. Harmanci, the Turkish Cypriot “mayor” of the occupied part of the capital, does not generally use the title when appearing in the government-controlled areas.
Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos withdrew the day after Harmanci, in solidarity. The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the President of the Turkish Cypriot Youth Federation have also pulled out, both citing the title change.
At joint appearances, the two mayors are usually billed as leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia, or given no title at all, according to the same information. The practice is meant to avoid misunderstandings and keep joint initiatives from getting stuck on formalities.
How the row unfolded
ELAM’s objection went beyond the wording. The party attacked Harmanci’s participation in the event and demanded that his invitation be withdrawn. It said its own officials had also been invited but had declined because “officials” of the pseudo-state were taking part.
Authorities in the occupied north are not recognised under international law or under the legal framework of the Republic of Cyprus. As a result, titles such as “mayor” cannot formally be used for their officials without qualification or quotation marks. Turkish Cypriots trace the municipality back to the separate municipal provisions of the 1960 Constitution.
In a statement on Thursday, the Cyprus Forum said it would not withdraw the invitation despite ELAM’s demand. It acknowledged, however, that the original title was not acceptable to the Greek Cypriot side. It switched to the wording used at the two men’s recent direct meetings, which lists Harmanci as “Leader of the Turkish Cypriot community of Nicosia”, and it contacted both men to inform them. Harmanci then announced his withdrawal in a letter.
The organisers also expressed regret over the outcome. They said they “understand and respect the decision of both” men and apologised for unintentionally damaging relations between the two communities. They added that the Forum remained open as a platform for discussing difficult political issues.
Harmanci and Prountzos had been due to present the event’s “Peace and Democracy Award” together to one Greek Cypriot and one Turkish Cypriot. Organisers said the award would still be presented for a third consecutive year, posthumously, with the awards handed directly to representatives of the recipients. The conference is going ahead with 220 speakers in more than 50 panel discussions.
Why Harmanci walked away
Harmanci concluded that he had no option but to withdraw once organisers rushed to alter the title, making it look as though they had given in to ELAM, philenews understands. He also felt that staying on would amount to accepting a downgrading of the Turkish Cypriots’ standing.
In a social media post on Friday, Harmanci said the story worth highlighting was not his own withdrawal but the solidarity shown by Prountzos, whom he called a dear friend. The title had never been an issue, he said, as he had taken part in many joint events in the government-controlled areas and abroad as Leader, or Representative, of the Turkish Cypriot Community of Nicosia.
The problem, he said, was the Cyprus Forum’s unilateral, unreserved and public submission to the demands of “a racist and divisive propaganda machine”.
He called Prountzos’s decision brave and thanked him on behalf of all Cypriots who still believe in peace and the reunification of the island. Regardless of titles and positions, he said, the two would keep standing together against any force trying to sow hatred and division in their communities on both sides of the island.
Forum denies giving in to ELAM
The Cyprus Forum has rejected claims that it gave in to ELAM. A spokesperson told philenews that once the organisers realised the title was a mistake, they had to correct it.
The Forum would never have withdrawn Harmanci’s invitation, as ELAM had demanded, the spokesperson said, but the title it originally used was not acceptable to the Republic of Cyprus.
The Forum acknowledged, however, that everyone involved should have coordinated better from the start.
Other participants pull out
AHDR has withdrawn as a Knowledge Partner and cancelled its panel, “Can Education Build Peace? Lessons from the Buffer Zone”. The session was intended to bring Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot educators and young people together. The association said it was acting over the change to Harmanci’s designation under political pressure and the two withdrawals that followed. It added that holding the discussion in the present circumstances would go against the principles that guide its work.
Mustafa Ozbilgehan, President of the Turkish Cypriot Youth Federation, had been invited to speak on a panel on Wednesday. He said he would stay away in protest at a title change that he said was made under pressure from ELAM. He called the change a scandal that could not be accepted or normalised, and he said the legitimacy of the community’s elected representatives did not depend on ELAM’s approval.
“Peace cannot be built by bowing to fascist pressure,” Ozbilgehan said. He stressed that his decision was not a stance against bicommunal dialogue or against ties with Greek Cypriot youth and civil society organisations.
