Former Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci fitted with pacemaker

Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was on Thursday fitted with a permanent pacemaker.

Northern Nicosia’s Dr Burhan Nalbantoglu hospital’s chief physician Adil Ozyilkan explained that the operation to fit the pacemaker was successful, that Akinci is currently being monitored in intensive care, and that his condition is stable.

Akinci had first been hospitalised in Famagusta after falling ill in a nearby hotel. Doctors found that he had suffered a transient ischemic attack – commonly known as a ‘mini-stroke’.

He was discharged two days later.

He had served as Turkish Cypriot leader between 2015 and 2020, running on a fiercely pro-federal Cyprus platform in the 2015 election and carrying that outlook into his time in office.

Efforts were made to de-escalate tensions between Cyprus’ two sides, with talks geared towards a federal solution to the Cyprus problem nearing completion before they collapsed in Crans Montana in 2017.

In the ensuing three years, Akinci found himself increasingly isolated politically and eventually failed in his bid to be re-elected as Turkish Cypriot leader in 2020, being succeeded by Ersin Tatar.

Previously, he had served as Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor between 1976 and 1990, winning acclaim alongside his Greek Cypriot counterpart Lellos Demetriades for the implementation of a bicommunal sewerage project and for other projects which preserved the character of Cyprus’ capital during that period.

He also served as the north’s ‘deputy prime minister’ between 1998 and 2001.