Turkish Cypriots choose Tufan Erhürman as their new president Updated

Tufan Erhürman, leader of the Republican Turkish Party, has won the presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

According to Anadolu Agency, the announcement was made by Bertan Özerdağ, Chairman of the TRNC Supreme Election Council.

Reiterating the figures previously released by the council, Özerdağ stated that 735 out of 777 ballot boxes had been opened. Erhürman received 62.80 per cent of the votes (84,630), while independent candidate and incumbent president Ersin Tatar secured 35.77 per cent (48,208).

Holding a press conference, Erhürman declared his victory and said that the country’s foreign policy would be conducted in consultation with official Ankara: “Let no one have any doubt about that.”

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has congratulated Erhürman on his victory. 

In a statement posted on X, Erdoğan said: “I congratulate Tufan Erhürman, elected, according to unofficial results of today’s elections, as president of the TRNC. I hope these elections, which once again demonstrate the democratic maturity of the TRNC and reflect the will of our Turkish brothers in Cyprus, bring benefit to our countries and the region. Türkiye will continue to defend the sovereign rights and interests of the TRNC.”

Commenting on the results of the elections, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), called for urgent parliamentary action in Northern Cyprus. He questioned the legitimacy of the election turnout, describing it as very low.

“The fate of the Turkish Cypriots cannot be decided with such limited participation. Even if the election results have been announced by the electoral council, the TRNC parliament must immediately convene, reject the election results, return to a federal framework, and adopt a decision on unification with Türkiye,” he said.

12:38

Voting has begun in the first round of the ninth presidential elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

According to Anadolu Agency, polling opened at 08:00 local time and will continue until 18:00. Across the country, 777 polling stations are operational.

The total number of registered voters in the TRNC is 218,313. To win outright in the first round, a candidate must secure an absolute majority — over 50% of the votes. If no candidate reaches this threshold, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff, scheduled for one week later. The candidate receiving the most votes in the second round will assume the presidency.

Seven candidates are competing in this first round, five of whom are independents: Osman Zorba (Cyprus Socialist Party), Tufan Erhürman (Republican Turkish Party), Arif Salih Kırdağ (Independent), Ahmet Boran (Independent), Mehmet Hasgüler (Independent), İbrahim Yazıcı (Independent), Hüseyin Gürlek (Independent), and Ersin Tatar (Independent).

On the eve of the election, Hüseyin Gürlek announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy in favour of Ersin Tatar.

By Khagan Isayev