Rivalry in TRNC Press Fierce Two Days Before Polls

The Cyprus newspaper, owned by well-known Turkish-Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir is the most influential tabloid newspaper in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and supports the Solution and European Union Party. Its headline yesterday read, "A Solution is Essential".

The Patriotic Cypriot newspaper, owned by deputy candidate of the Solution and EU Party Dogan Harman, backs the opposition and claims President Rauf Denktas transferred all equality rights of the TRNC to the Greek-Cypriots.

The Volkan (Volcano), a pro-Denktas newspaper ran with an article yesterday about Republican Turkish Party Leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s statement to a motherland Turkish newspaper, bearing the scandalous headline, "We are Turkey’s Mistress".

The ‘Voice of the Public’, pro-Nationalist Peace Party paper highlighted accusations of the government’s impartiality before the poll.

The New Order newspaper, close to Mehmet Ali Talat, proclaimed that the public had decided on the European Union (EU) issue, with the headline "Stamp on Europe".

The Africa, showing the fiercest opposition to Denktas, used the headline, "Visa to the South after May 1st".