Form of Government: Elected president for five-year term, appointed Council of Ministers, elected House of Representatives of fifty-six members for five-year term. Constitutional provision of Turkish Cypriot vice president, three members of Council of Ministers, and twenty-four members of House of Representatives in disuse for decades.
[Turkish Cypriots nonparticipants in governance of Republic of Cyprus. State resulting from unilateral declaration of independence in 1985, "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," recognized only by Turkey. Elected president for five-year term, appointed Council of Ministers, elected Legislative Assembly of fifty members for fiveyear term.]
Legal System: Supreme Court final appellate court; district and assize courts with civil and criminal jurisdictions. Supreme Council of Judicature--composed of attorney general, members of the Supreme Court, and others--deals with appointment and promotion of judges.
[Turkish Cypriots employ a parallel system, with additional special courts for family matters.]
Politics: Resolving intercommunal crisis major political issue. Four political parties represented in House of Representatives accounted for over 95 percent of vote; several right- and left-wing splinter parties accounted for the remainder. Moderate conservative Democratic Rally (DISY), founded by Glafkos Clerides in 1976, won 35.8 percent of vote and twenty seats in 1991 parliamentary election. Democratic Party (DIKO), founded by Spyros Kyprianou in 1976, won 19.5 percent of vote and eleven parliamentary seats in 1991 election. Long a government party, DIKO was center right and close to Archbishop Makarios III. The socialdemocratic United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK) founded in 1969 by Vassos Lyssarides, still its leader in 1992. EDEK won 10.9 percent of the vote and seven seats in 1991 elections. The Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) dates from 1941, but with historical ties to communist movement of 1920s. Although long doctrinaire and subservient to the former Soviet Union, AKEL moderate left wing in practice. In 1991, elections won 30.6 percent of vote and eighteen seats. Flexible on intercommunal problem, it often allied with DISY on this issue. EDEK and DIKO frequently advocated a more traditional approach to end the island's division.
[Three main Turkish Cypriot parties and a smaller right-wing party offered voters range of choices. For the 1990 Legislative Assembly election, unsuccessful electoral alliance against governing party, the conservative National Unity Party (UBP). The UBP won 55 percent of the vote and thirty-four seats in parliament. Founded in 1975 by Rauf Denktas, this perennial governing party led in early 1990s by Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu. Rightist New Dawn Party (YDP) formed in 1984 to represent Turkish settlers. Won two seats in 1990, which it subsequently occupied. Moderate Communal Liberation Party (TKP) often opposed UBP policies, urging greater contacts with Greek Cypriots. Founded in 1976, by Alpay Durduran, it led in early 1990s by Mustafa Akinci. Some of the party boycotted the Legislative Assembly after the 1990 elections, refusing to take all of its five seats. Left-wing labor Republican Turkish Party (CTP) dated from 1970. Led by Özker Özgür, it won seven seats in 1990, but like TKP boycotted parliament.]
International Memberships: United Nations and its affiliated organizations; World Bank; International Monetary Fund; Commonwealth of Nations; Council of Europe; Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; associate membership in European Community.
["Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" an observer at the Organization of the Islamic Conference.]
Data as of January 1991