The new legislative year commenced this morning (Tuesday) with a ceremonial opening following a three-month summer recess.

During the ceremony, speeches were delivered by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel as well as the leaders of the political parties with seats in the Republic’s Assembly.

The Tenth Term, Fourth Legislative Year of the Republic’s Assembly officially commenced on Tuesday with a ceremonial opening in accordance with parliament’s rules of procedure, on the first working day of October.

During the ceremony, speeches were delivered Prime Minister Ünal Üstel as well as the leaders of the political parties with seats in the Republic’s Assembly.

The opening session was also attended by President Ersin Tatar, former President Mehmet Ali Talat, Supreme Court President Bertan Özerdağ, the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Yasin Ekrem Serim, Chief Prosecutor Sarper Altıncık, Court of Accounts President Osman Korahan, former parliamentary speakers, prime ministers, bureaucrats, senior executives, and other invited guests.

Parliament had held its last meeting on Tuesday, June 25, before going on summer recess.

During the summer break, the General Assembly convened twice for extraordinary sessions.

Delivering the first speech, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel emphasized the government’s commitment to accelerating the country’s development.

He highlighted ongoing efforts to address public concerns and the completion of various unfinished projects since taking office. To combat the rising cost of living, the government has implemented timely financial support and incentives for producers.

Üstel noted that the government is enhancing public welfare through initiatives outlined in the Financial Cooperation Protocol with Türkiye, focusing on new infrastructure projects and major initiatives.

To further tackle increasing costs, he announced the implementation of the Electronic Label Regulation to monitor market prices in the upcoming term.

Additionally, Üstel expressed support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s address at the UN General Assembly, committing to strengthen the foundations of the TRNC in the new term.

The leader of the Democrat Party (DP)-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu opened his speech by thanking those who facilitated the parliamentary work over the past three months.

He emphasized the need for prompt voting on essential national issues, highlighting that progress has been made on various projects under his ministry and expressed confidence that all members of parliament will continue to serve citizens.

The leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) and Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı in his speech wished for a fruitful new legislative period, noting that traffic issues were a major concern for citizens during the previous term, especially amidst rising inflation.

He announced that work on the Public Transport Master Plan is nearing completion and plans to implement a camera system to improve traffic control.

Arıklı also expressed concerns regarding the Cyprus issue, stating that proposals for trilateral and quadrilateral meetings from the UN Secretary-General were unexpected.

He cautioned against revisiting the federative solution, recalling past experiences from 1998 and the Annan Plan.

Delivering the final speech, the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman emphasized that a solution to the Cyprus issue cannot be reached without negotiations.

He referenced Security Council decisions, stressing the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people should not be a negotiable matter and highlighted the importance of time limits and result-oriented approaches in discussions.

Erhürman criticized the government’s population policy, arguing that effective planning and policy-making in a country without clear demographic data is impossible.

He raised concerns about increasing educational issues, including some schools currently giving education in temporary containers.

Additionally, he criticized the government’s attempts to lower the cost of living while increasing electricity prices and expressed skepticism about the efficacy of these measures.