The political fallout from the deadly Filo Jet ferry disaster off Girne has reached the highest levels of the North Cyprus government, with Erhan Arıklı removed as Minister of Public Works and Transport and his Yeniden Doğuş Partisi (Rebirth Party, YDP) subsequently deciding to withdraw from the ruling coalition.
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced Arıklı’s removal on Wednesday, 2 September, saying the decision was necessary to ensure police and judicial authorities could investigate the ferry disaster “without leaving any room for doubt”.
Üstel stressed that the decision did not amount to a declaration of guilt and was not politically directed against either Arıklı or the YDP.
“The presumption of innocence applies to everyone,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the investigation would be conducted rapidly, thoroughly and transparently and that anyone ultimately found responsible would be held accountable.
The Filo Jet, which was travelling from Girne to Taşucu when it capsized shortly after leaving port on Sunday, 30 August, has now claimed at least 11 lives, with a further 17 people still reported missing.
Arıklı: “An opportunity I had been waiting for”
Arıklı, who is also leader of the YDP, said Üstel had telephoned him to explain that he had to remove him from office to safeguard the investigation.
His response was notably blunt.
“This was actually an opportunity I had been waiting for for two years. I thank the Prime Minister for giving me this opportunity.”
Arıklı said he had previously argued that the government should go to the polls and had come close to resigning on several occasions, but had remained in government following appeals from various quarters.
Prior to his dismissal, Arıklı had also said he was prepared for his parliamentary immunity to be lifted if required by prosecutors in connection with the investigation. He had additionally proposed temporarily transferring responsibility for the Ports Department from his ministry to the Prime Minister’s Office to remove any potential concerns over the independence of the investigation.
YDP pulls out of government
Within hours of Arıklı's dismissal, the YDP convened its party leadership and decided to withdraw from the government.
Arıklı said the decision had been approved by the party council and would be formally communicated in writing to Üstel. He added that, given the continuing search for those missing from the ferry disaster, he did not intend to become embroiled immediately in a wider political argument over the circumstances surrounding his removal.
The decision brings an end to YDP's participation in the UBP-DP-YDP administration, which has governed North Cyprus under Üstel since May 2022.
It also creates a potentially significant parliamentary problem for the government. The Ulusal Birlik Partisi (UBP) currently has 23 MPs and its remaining coalition partner, the Demokrat Parti (DP), has two. The loss of YDP's two MPs therefore leaves the UBP-DP government with 25 seats in the 50-seat Cumhuriyet Meclisi — one short of the 26 required for an outright majority. One parliamentary seat is currently vacant, meaning 49 MPs are serving.
YDP's withdrawal does not automatically bring down Üstel's government, but it means the administration is likely to require support from independent MPs or opposition members to secure crucial parliamentary votes. This could create a period of political uncertainty in North Cyprus ahead of its next General Election, which is due to be held no later than January 2027.
