Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday congratulated Tufan Erhurman on his victory in the presidential elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
In a post on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan said: “This election has once again demonstrated the democratic maturity of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” adding that the Turkish Cypriot people’s “will has been clearly reflected at the ballot box.” He expressed hope that the outcome would benefit both countries and the broader region.
The head of the Supreme Electoral Council in TRNC, Bertan Özerdağ, announced on Sunday that Erhurman won 62.76% of the vote, defeating independent candidate and incumbent President Ersin Tatar, who received 35.81%. Voter turnout stood at 64.87%.
Erhurman has held several political and governmental positions in Northern Cyprus. In 2013, he became a member of parliament for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and served as the party’s Secretary-General in 2015. He was elected as the party’s president in 2016 and also served as the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in a coalition government formed in 2018.
