Newsroom
Tufan Erhürman has been elected as the new leader in the Turkish Cypriot-administered areas of occupied Cyprus, securing 62.76% of the vote in Sunday’s first-round “presidential elections.” Incumbent Ersin Tatar received 35.81%, according to unofficial results released by the “Supreme Election Committee,” with voter turnout reported at 64.87%.
In his first statement following the results, Erhürman called for unity, saying, “There are no losers in this election,” and pledged to govern impartially. He announced his resignation as head of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) to serve all citizens and thanked coalition partners, independents, and supporters from other parties, framing his victory as a mandate for broader consensus.
President Nikos Christodoulides congratulated Erhürman and expressed readiness to resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue, noting the upcoming informal meeting convened by the UN Secretary-General as an important opportunity. Christodoulides emphasized that any solution should respect UN resolutions, Security Council decisions, and European Union principles.
Greek Cypriot political leaders also commented on the outcome. Anita Dimitriou of the Democratic Rally said the election results reflected voters’ rejection of a two-state scenario. Stefanos Stefanu of AKEL described the outcome as a “positive and hopeful message” for a federated Cyprus, while MP Christoforos Tornaritis welcomed Erhürman’s victory and anticipated renewed dialogue.
Celebrations were reported at the CTP headquarters in the northern part of Nicosia following the announcement.
