The Cyprus Turkish National Union (Turkish: Kıbrıs Milli Türk Birliği, KMTB) was a conservative political party representing the Turkish minority in Cyprus led by Fazıl Küçük.[1][2]
History
editThe KMTB was established in 1955 as a successor to the Cyprus is Turkish Party, which had also been established by Küçük.[2] In the pre-independence elections in 1960 it won all 15 Turkish seats in the House of Representatives and all the seats in the Turkish Communal Chamber.[3] The party had run opposed in the House seats in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Larnaca.[4]
In 1963 its MPs withdrew from parliament following the outbreak of intercommunal violence, but continued to legislate for the Turkish Cypriot population. In 1973 the party was dissolved and most of its members were involved in founding new political parties in the territory of Northern Cyprus.[2]
Ideology
editThe party's primary objective was the protection of the civil rights of Turkish Cypriots. Prior to independence in 1960, it advocated partition of the island, known in Turkish as Taksim. After independence was granted, it then supported the London and Zurich Agreements for power sharing in the country.[2]
References
edit- ^ Marshall William Conley (1967) Political Community and Social Conflict: Cyprus[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d Vincent E. McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, p111 ISBN 0-313-23804-9
- ^ Yitzhak Oron Middle East Record Volume 1, 1960 The Moshe Dayan Centre, p225
- ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p441 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7