The Turkish Cypriot High Electoral Council announced that opposition candidate Tufan Erhurman defeated incumbent Ersin Tatar to win the presidency in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
In the election on Sunday, Tatar received 35.81 percent of the vote, while Erhurman, the center-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP), received 62.76 percent.
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“This election has no losers,” he declared. After the announcement, Erhurman said, “We, the Turkish Cypriot people, have won together.”
“With the Republic of Turkiye in mind, I will take my duties seriously, particularly in terms of foreign policy.” No one should worry, he continued, citing Ankara’s long-standing interest in Northern Cyprus.
Tatar, 65, backed a two-state solution to Cyprus, which the Turkish government supports. Erhurman, 55, a lawyer who was born in Nicosia and attended the University of Ankara, has stated that he intends to restart negotiations with Greek Cypriots in order to bring the island under one federal umbrella. He previously participated in discussions with Mehmet Ali Talat, the ex-Turkish leader, between 2008 and 2010, and he served as the TRNC’s prime minister from February 2018 to May 2019.
Only Turkiye, which maintains more than 35, 000 peacekeepers in the area, is recognized for Northern Cyprus, which occupies less than a third of the Mediterranean island.
island divided
Following a coup in the south that aimed to unite Cyprus with Greece in 1974, the island was split. Nine years after Turkiye’s military intervention following a brief Greek-backed coup that threatened the island’s Turkish community, Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983.
Only the Greek Cypriot south, which has the internationally renowned government, is eligible for full EU membership benefits, which Cyprus joined in 2004. While residing in the north, many Turkish Cypriots are holders of EU-recognized Cyprus passports.
Greek Cypriots object to the two-state proposal because it conflicts with the EU’s approved framework for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, according to them.
Northern Cyprus has about 218 000 registered voters. Voting began at 15:00 GMT on Sunday, and counting took place at locations throughout the territory under the supervision of the TRNC Supreme Election Board.
Erhurman was congratulated on his victory by Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who reiterated his commitment to resuming negotiations with Turkish Cypriot leaders.
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Source: Aljazeera
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