Nicosia municipal title dispute sparks constitutional debate

A dispute regarding the official title of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia has resurfaced following pressure from the radical right party ELAM in Southern Cyprus. Mehmet Harmancı, the Mayor of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia, decided not to participate in the Cyprus Forum after his title was altered due to this political pressure.

In support of Harmancı, the Mayor of the Greek Municipality of Nicosia, Haralambus Pruncos, has highlighted the legal framework of the 1960 Constitution. Article 173 of the 1960 Constitution provided for the establishment of separate Turkish and Greek municipalities in the island's five major cities: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, and Paphos.

The Greek Cypriot administration's scrutiny of the title ‘Mayor of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia’—as opposed to other TRNC titles like President or Prime Minister—is viewed as an effort to prevent indirect recognition of the TRNC. The administration seeks to avoid actions that could provide a basis for recognizing TRNC institutions without formal diplomatic recognition.