Turkish Cypriot Leader Ersin Tatar Defeated in Landslide Victory for Centre-Left Candidate Tufan Erhurman.
In a decisive victory, centre-left candidate Tufan Erhurman has won the presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with 62.76% of the vote. His closest rival, incumbent Ersin Tatar, secured just 35.81%. The landslide win marks a significant shift in Turkish Cypriot politics, as Erhurman's Republican Turkish Party (CTP) took control of the government.
Erhurman, a 55-year-old lawyer born in Nicosia and educated at the University of Ankara, has pledged to restart negotiations with Greek Cypriots aimed at reunifying the island. His campaign focused on unity and collaboration, appealing to voters who sought a more inclusive approach to resolving the decades-long dispute.
The election was held under the supervision of the TRNC Supreme Election Board, with over 218,000 registered voters participating in the polls. Tatar, who has been supported by the Turkish government, advocated for a two-state solution for Cyprus, which is not in line with Erhurman's vision for federal reunification.
Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides congratulated Erhurman on his victory, reaffirming his commitment to resuming negotiations with Turkish Cypriot leaders. The Greek side has consistently rejected the two-state proposal, viewing it as incompatible with the United Nations and EU-endorsed framework for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan also congratulated Erhurman in a post on social media, pledging that Turkiye would "continue to defend the rights and sovereign interests" of the breakaway territory. The Turkish government has long been involved in the Northern Cyprus dispute, with Ankara maintaining more than 35,000 peacekeepers in the region.
Erhurman's win marks a significant turning point in the history of Northern Cyprus, as he seeks to revive stalled negotiations and establish a new path for reunification.
In a decisive victory, centre-left candidate Tufan Erhurman has won the presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with 62.76% of the vote. His closest rival, incumbent Ersin Tatar, secured just 35.81%. The landslide win marks a significant shift in Turkish Cypriot politics, as Erhurman's Republican Turkish Party (CTP) took control of the government.
Erhurman, a 55-year-old lawyer born in Nicosia and educated at the University of Ankara, has pledged to restart negotiations with Greek Cypriots aimed at reunifying the island. His campaign focused on unity and collaboration, appealing to voters who sought a more inclusive approach to resolving the decades-long dispute.
The election was held under the supervision of the TRNC Supreme Election Board, with over 218,000 registered voters participating in the polls. Tatar, who has been supported by the Turkish government, advocated for a two-state solution for Cyprus, which is not in line with Erhurman's vision for federal reunification.
Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides congratulated Erhurman on his victory, reaffirming his commitment to resuming negotiations with Turkish Cypriot leaders. The Greek side has consistently rejected the two-state proposal, viewing it as incompatible with the United Nations and EU-endorsed framework for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan also congratulated Erhurman in a post on social media, pledging that Turkiye would "continue to defend the rights and sovereign interests" of the breakaway territory. The Turkish government has long been involved in the Northern Cyprus dispute, with Ankara maintaining more than 35,000 peacekeepers in the region.
Erhurman's win marks a significant turning point in the history of Northern Cyprus, as he seeks to revive stalled negotiations and establish a new path for reunification.
This is crazy how fast the politics can change! I was following this election closely and now Tufan Erhurman has won with a landslide 
. 62.76% of the vote, that's insane! I'm hoping he'll be able to bring some progress on the reunification talks between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots 
. It would be amazing to see the island united again. The fact that Erhurman's party took control means they're gonna have a different approach than before, maybe less focus on two-state solution 
. Fingers crossed for a better future! 
. It's like, Tufan Erhurman is bringing a breath of fresh air to the island after years of stalemate. I mean, who wouldn't want to put politics aside and work towards unity? 
The fact that he won with 62.76% of the vote just shows how much voters are craving change. It's gonna be interesting to see what kind of progress Erhurman can make on the reunification front. Maybe we'll finally see a real shift towards federalism instead of this two-state nonsense 
. The Turkish government's continued support for Ersin Tatar is also kinda puzzling, but I guess it just goes to show that they're still stuck in the past 
. Anyway, Erhurman's got a tough job ahead of him, but if anyone can do it, he's your guy 
.
. hope he can make some real waves and get those negotiations going again 
his message of unity and collaboration is exactly what turkey cyprus needs rn 
cant wait to see him restart those negociations with greek cypris 
so many people in trnc are finally excited about a change after all these years 
hope he can bring peace and prosperity back to the island 
erhurman's win is like, super historic for turkey cyprus 
gotta wonder how tatar was so far behind... maybe its time for a change in trnc? 
. 62.76% is insane!!! did you see the state of trnc politics before? it's like they were stuck in a time warp 
. now with erhurman at the helm, maybe we'll finally get some progress on that cypriot thing... and nice move by nikos christodoulides to congratulate him too 
. Erdogan's tweet was pretty cool i guess 
. but seriously, erhurman's message of unity really resonated with the voters, no wonder he won so big 
.
tatar's been stuck in the past for too long, its about time we move forward towards federal reunification and cooperation with greek cypriots 
his vision of federal reunification is the way forward imo 
I dont get why Tufan Erhurman won so bigly... isnt Ersin Tatar his opponent? like, one team or one side or something? 
Isnt that a pretty big difference? 
I just dont get how politics works sometimes... 
. I'm excited to see where Erhurman takes this new path for reunification! 
. I mean, Erhurman's all about unity and collaboration, but it feels like Tatar just kinda gave up on the whole reunification thing 
. Like, what happened to the passion and idealism? And now Erhurman's gonna have to deal with all these expectations and pressures from both sides 
. 62.76% is like whoa! 
. Fingers crossed it'll lead to reunification 
. Guess the Turkish government will have to back down a bit 
and its like a whole new chapter is openin up for the region 
he's all about unity and collaboration which i think is super refreshing 
especially after years of this two-state solution thingy 
I'm actually kinda stoked about this, hope he can make some real progress on reunifying the island 