Turkish Cypriot coalition partner quits government after minister dismissed

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is facing a political shake-up after its coalition partner withdrew from the government. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced on Monday that Erhan Arıklı, leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP), has been removed from his post as Minister of Public Works and Transport. In a statement, Üstel said Arıklı was dismissed “for the sake of the integrity of the investigation and to ease the public conscience.” Shortly after the announcement, the YDP confirmed it was pulling out of the ruling coalition. The move leaves the government without its junior partner, raising questions about its stability in the coming weeks. No further details were given about the nature of the investigation cited by the Prime Minister.