With TRNC Parliamentary Elections looming in 2018, this is the perfect opportunity for UK-based TRNC citizens to get the measure of a man widely tipped to become a future prime minister of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.
Kudret Özersay, leader of Halkın Partisi (People’s Party), will be in London for two public talks next week. The academic and activist turned politician spent over 12 years as the TRNC’s Chief Negotiator at the Talks, working alongside seven different Cypriot presidents.
Since launching his new party in 2015, Özersay has been observing the Cyprus Talks closely and following their recent spectacular collapse, has called for a fundamental shift in policy, arguing that Turkish Cypriots need a “full-stop” and a fresh approach to the divided island’s future instead of more open-ended talks that has resulted in over half-a-century of dead-end negotiations.
The vivacious 43-year-old will be addressing UK-based Turkish Cypriots about the current challenges their home country faces and the solutions his party proposes. Özersay is also keen to get the Diaspora’s views and ideas on the future of North Cyprus, billing the two evenings as “discussions” as opposed to ‘lectures’, inviting audience members to attend and ask questions or comment on the current political situation in the TRNC.
He is bringing several top tier party executives too: Halkın Partisi General Secretary Tolga Atakan, Deputy General Secretary Ramadan Beysun, Executive Committee members Jale Refik Rogers and Ayşegül Baybars, and two party assembly members: İhsan Tuncalı and Cemre Günsel Esengin.
Seminar details
Both events are free to attend, start at 7.45pm and will be in Turkish. No prior registration is needed.
- North London: Thursday 14 September 2017 – Grand Palace, 242 High Road, Wood Green, London N22 8JX
- South London: Friday 15 September 2017 – Bromley Central Library, large hall (4th floor), High Street, Bromley, Kent BR1 1EX
