The Republican Turkish Party (Turkish: Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi, CTP) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Cyprus. The party was founded in 1970 by Ahmet Mithat Berberoğlu, a lawyer, in opposition to the leadership of Fazıl Küçük and Rauf Denktaş.
In the 1980s, the CTP's political position shifted to the left, to a pro-Soviet stance, as a result of an influx of members who had been students politicised at universities in Turkey. Under Özker Özgür the party held rapprochement meetings with the Greek leftist party of Cyprus, AKEL. From 1996 the party was led by Mehmet Ali Talat until his election as president in 2005. After the fall of Communism in eastern Europe and USSR a natural process of change started. The party's leader today is Ferdi Sabit Soyer and the party is leaning towards the European social-democratic and liberal system.
The Republican Turkish party is for unification of the island, and Mehmet Ali Talat had begun to undertake weekly meetings with Demetris Christofias, regarding power sharing, armed forces, land ownership, and other problems that would arise in the event of reunification the island.
On 30 June 2008, the Republican Turkish Party became a consultative member of the Socialist International (voted in by all members except the Movement for Social Democracy).
Famous quotes containing the words republican, turkish and/or party:
“The climate of Ohio is perfect, considered as the home of an ideal republican people. Climate has much to do with national character.... A climate which permits labor out-of-doors every month in the year and which requires industry to secure comfort—to provide food, shelter, clothing, fuel, etc.—is the very climate which secures the highest civilization.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“A man may grow rich in Turkey even, if he will be in all respects a good subject of the Turkish government.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“In order to remain true to oneself one ought to renounce one’s party three times a day.”
—Jean Rostand (1894–1977)