23.10.2025 08:00
The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tufan Erhürman, gave his first interview following his election victory. Erhürman stated that they would conduct the negotiation processes, the Cyprus issue, and other critical matters related to foreign policy in consultation and harmony with Ankara, saying, "I will make my first visit to Ankara."
In the presidential election held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhürman, was elected president by receiving 62.76% of the votes.
WON THE ELECTION WITH 62.76%
Erhürman received 62.76% of the votes in the elections, while independent candidate Ersin Tatar received 35.81%, and the voter turnout in the presidential election was recorded at 64.87%.
ERHÜRMAN GAVE HIS FIRST INTERVIEW
Tufan Erhürman, the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) who was elected as the 6th President, received his certificate of election and also gave his eagerly awaited first statement.
"WE WILL BE IN CONSULTATION AND HARMONY WITH ANKARA"
Speaking to Türkiye Newspaper, Erhürman stated, "No one should doubt that our administration will conduct the negotiation processes, as well as other critical issues related to the Cyprus problem and foreign policy, in consultation and harmony with Ankara, just like the leaders who previously held the presidency in the TRNC. This tradition will continue as it has until now."
FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
My duty is to elevate the relations between our states and peoples to a much higher level. It is our state tradition for the first official visit of TRNC Presidents to be made to the Republic of Turkey. We have a swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Immediately after that, necessary initiatives will begin to organize a visit program to Turkey," he expressed.
WHO IS TUFAN ERHÜRMAN?
Tufan Erhürman was born in 1970. He served in the negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus dispute between 2008 and 2010. Previously, he worked at the Turkish Ministry of Justice between 1999 and 2004 and contributed to the establishment of the ombudsman institution in Turkey. He became the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP). From January 2018, he served as Prime Minister as the leader of a four-party coalition. The coalition government resigned on May 9, 2019, and Erhürman continued his duties as Prime Minister until he was succeeded by Ersin Tatar on May 22, 2019.
Erhürman completed his secondary education at the Turkish Maarif College. He enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Ankara University in 1988. He also obtained his master's and doctoral degrees from Ankara University. His doctoral thesis in 2001 was on "The Extrajudicial Control of the Institution and the Ombudsman." Erhürman taught public law courses at Ankara University, Middle East Technical University, and Hacettepe University between 1995 and 2001. He later taught at Eastern Mediterranean University between 2001-2006 and 2008-2013. Erhürman also taught at Near East University between 2006-2008.
Erhürman participated in the negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus problem during the presidency of Mehmet Ali Talat between 2008 and 2010. He became a candidate for the Lefkoşa parliamentary seat in the 2013 elections and was elected as a member of parliament as a candidate of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces. He worked intensively to amend the constitution with 23 amendments accepted by all four parties represented in parliament at that time. However, 62.3% of voters rejected the new constitution in the 2014 referendum. He became the Secretary-General of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces.
On November 13, 2016, Erhürman became the leader of the Republican Turkish Party and thus the main opposition. He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in the early elections of 2018, but could not prevent his party from losing 9 seats. On January 19, 2018, negotiations began to form a coalition among four parties consisting of the Republican Turkish Party, the People's Party, the Democratic Party, and the Social Democracy Party, ultimately resulting in the establishment of Erhürman's cabinet.