Lefkosa: Tufan Erhurman, the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has won the presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with 62.76% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the electoral authority on Sunday evening. Erhurman defeated incumbent President Ersin Tatar, who received 35.81% of the vote. Voter turnout in the presidential election was 64.87%, the Supreme Election Board of Northern Cyprus said.
According to Anadolu Agency, following the election results, Erhurman stated that foreign policy will be conducted in close consultation with Trkiye. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz commented on the elections, emphasizing the maturity demonstrated by the TRNC as a state and its voters, reiterating Trkiye's support for TRNC.
Earlier, voting for the presidential election began on Sunday morning, with voters casting ballots from 8 am (0500GMT) to 6 pm (1500GMT) at 777 polling stations across the country. The TRNC has 218,313 eligible voters. Incumbent President Ersin Tatar ran as an independent candidate, while Tufan Erhurman, leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP), contested as his party's nominee.
Other candidates included Mehmet Hasguler, Arif Salih Kirdag, Ahmet Boran, and Ibrahim Yazici, who ran as independents, and Osman Zorba, representing the Cyprus Socialist Party. Huseyin Gurlek, whose name appeared on the ballot, withdrew his candidacy on Saturday in support of Ersin Tatar.
The newly elected president, Tufan Erhurman, was born in Lefkosa and completed his secondary education at Turkish Maarif College in 1988. He received his law degree from Ankara University in 1992, worked as a research assistant, and taught at various universities. Erhurman earned his doctorate and contributed to drafting Trkiye's Ombudsman Institution Law. He has also served in academic and governmental roles, including as a member of the negotiation team establishing the Immovable Property Commission. Erhurman was elected Lefkosa MP in 2013 and became CTP leader in 2016, later serving as prime minister of a coalition government.