In a politically charged week in the occupied north of Cyprus, three separate developments have stirred controversy just days before the “presidential elections”.

The “Supreme Electoral Council” cancelled a scheduled televised debate between incumbent Ersin Tatar and opposition leader Tufan Erhürman that was due to air this Friday on Bayrak TV. The decision came after formal complaints from the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) and “independent candidate” Mehmet Hasgüler, who argued the debate violated the principle of equal opportunity among candidates.

According to the announcement, the “Council” decided to cancel the broadcast entirely following the submission of these complaints. The cancellation has added to an already heated pre-election atmosphere, especially following the “parliament’s” approval of a controversial resolution promoting a “two-state solution” to the Cyprus problem.

After over five hours of tense discussion, the “Assembly” passed a resolution supporting a two-state solution with votes from members of the UBP, DP, and YDP — the three ruling coalition parties — while members of the main opposition CTP abstained or walked out.

The resolution calls for efforts to end the “unjust political, economic and social isolation” of the occupied north, accelerate international recognition efforts, and present the two-state formula as “the only path to lasting peace in Cyprus”.

It further stresses close cooperation with “motherland Turkey” and seeks full membership for the self-styled “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” in the Organization of Turkic States.

“Any new negotiation process can only proceed once the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people are recognized by the United Nations,” the resolution declares.

Ruling party leaders, including “Prime Minister” Ünal Üstel and Interior “Minister” Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, defended the motion as reflecting the “realities on the island” — namely, “two peoples, two sovereignties, and two states”.

CTP leader Tufan Erhürman, however, denounced the move as “a government decision disguised as a parliamentary resolution”, accusing Tatar of exploiting the Cyprus issue for electoral purposes just five days before the vote. “This is not a matter to be used as a campaign tool,” Erhürman said.

During Erhürman’s speech, Turkish Cypriot media reported that the live YouTube transmission of the “session” was briefly cut for about three minutes, further fuelling political speculation.

Meanwhile, the controversial “trial” of five Greek Cypriots before the “military court” in occupied Nicosia resumed today. The case, which has drawn criticism from the Republic of Cyprus and international observers, centers on alleged border violations.

At the previous hearing, Turkish forensic expert Ismail Özkan, called by the defence, challenged the “prosecution’s” claim that fingerprints could not be retrieved from key evidence — including a Greek Cypriot ID card. Özkan argued that the handling of the evidence was improper and that correct forensic methods were not followed.

The “prosecution” questioned the validity of his testimony, insisting that the expert had never examined an ID “issued by the Greek Cypriot administration” and claiming the object’s small surface and multiple handlers made fingerprint recovery “impossible”.

The trial continues amid growing political tension between the two sides and increased attention from the international community ahead of the upcoming vote in the north.