Reports within the Turkish Cypriot media are trying to explain why President Erdoğan has not yet invited the new Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, for consultations more than two weeks after the election in the north. Beyond formal congratulations, no meeting date has been set. According to the online outlet Bugün Kıbrıs, the silence from Ankara is striking at a time when Erhürman is seeking intensive diplomatic contacts. Based on specific information cited in Ankara, one line of speculation is that the Turkish presidency does not wish to provoke Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli, who has publicly opposed any return to a UN-framed federal settlement for Cyprus.
Bahçeli’s denial
Hours after such claims circulated in Turkish media, Bahçeli moved to quash them. He reacted strongly to rumours that he had begun a silent protest over Cyprus policy, which some commentators linked to his absence from the 29 October reception at the presidential palace marking the Republic’s anniversary and from a ceremony at Atatürk’s mausoleum. Addressing his party’s parliamentary group, Bahçeli flatly denied any rift with the ruling party, saying there is no disagreement whatsoever on the goal of a terrorism-free Turkey or on the president’s policy choices. He said his absences had nothing to do with Cyprus or with any supposed policy shift.
Attack on the media
Bahçeli accused sections of the press of duplicity and of manufacturing artificial tensions within the governing alliance. His message was calibrated to project unity while asserting that his party remains an autonomous partner inside the coalition.
The intervention aims to dispel talk of discord, reinforce the image of cohesion around Erdoğan and remind observers that the Nationalist Movement Party remains a pivotal actor for the stability of the governing bloc. Whether Ankara’s caution over optics with Bahçeli is contributing to the delay in hosting Erhürman remains unconfirmed, but the episode underscores the sensitivity of Cyprus policy within Turkey’s coalition politics.