President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended his congratulations to Tufan Erhürman, the leader of the pro-federation Republican Turkish Party (CTP), who won today's presidential election in Northern Cyprus by a wide margin according to preliminary results.
“This election has once again demonstrated the democratic maturity of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriot people's will has been clearly reflected at the ballot box. I hope the outcome will be beneficial for our countries and the region,” Erdoğan wrote on social media.
“As Turkey, we will continue to defend the sovereignty rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people across all platforms," he added.
According to the Supreme Election Board of Northern Cyprus, Erhürman, who supports a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal solution, secured 62.80% of the vote, while incumbent President Ersin Tatar, who supports a two-state model aligned with Ankara’s Cyprus policy, received 35.77%. The voter turnout was 64.87%.
Despite Erdoğan’s message, his main ally Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), urged Northern Cyprus’s parliament to reject the results citing low turnout.
In a statement shared on social media by MHP Deputy Chair İsmail Özdemir, Bahçeli was quoted as saying, “The results of the election held in the TRNC came amid very low voter turnout. The fate of Turkish Cypriots cannot be represented by such participation.
“Even if the election board has announced a result, the TRNC parliament must urgently convene, declare that the election results and a return to federation are unacceptable, and adopt a decision to join the Republic of Turkey.”
Erhürman rejects 'anti-Turkey' claims
Erhürman rejected claims that he is anti-Turkey, dismissing such portrayals as “propaganda” in an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) following his election win.
“Our relationship with Turkey is vital,” Erhürman said, stressing that formulating foreign policy without consultation with Turkey “has never been the case in the past, and it won’t be during my term either.”
Tatar conceded after the results became clear, saying, “Of course, we must respect the voters’ decision. I have served tirelessly for five years, but this is the judgment the voters have made. I congratulate Tufan Erhürman.”
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared independence in 1983, after Turkey’s 1974 military intervention in response to a Greek-backed coup aiming to unite the island with Greece. It remains recognized only by Turkey. (VK)
