Denktaş University controversy in northern Cyprus

Could anyone imagine, let's say 10 years ago, that the majority partner in the Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition, the National Unity Party (UBP), would be plunged into serious internal strife because Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün agreed to lease 200 acres of land in Nicosia for the establishment of a "Rauf Denktaş University?"

 Was Denktaş not the founding father of not only the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but also the UBP? Was it the first time ever that the state was leasing land to entrepreneurs and foundations wishing to establish education establishments? Have UBP deputies all become so anti-Denktaş that they object to the establishment of a university with the name of the founding president?

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş agreed in remarks to the media that there was an ethical problem in him sponsoring the lease of the land - formerly allocated to the military - as the university would be owned by his son, also a Rauf Denktaş. Yet, he said, there was nothing abnormal under the laws of the Turkish Cypriot state, and the land was duly leased with a government decision.

At that point, there appeared a problem. While Özgürgün and Serdar Denktaş knew about the deal, apparently many ministers were not briefed at all on the issue and the decision to lease the land was made possible with a document pre-signed by ministers. If some UBP ministers were not informed at all about the development and if the decision was made on a pre-signed page with only the premier placing his very valuable signature to please his coalition partner, Serdar Denktaş, one need not be a fortune teller to expect a serious storm within the ruling party. Indeed, that happened. Now, people have been talking about early elections, and...