Who is the new president of the TRNC, Tufan Erhürman?

In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the public went to the polls to elect a president. Voters elected Tufan Erhürman, Chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), as president. So, who is Tufan Erhürman? What are his views, and what is his relationship with Turkey?

Voters in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) went to the polls on Sunday, October 19th, to elect a new leader. Voting began at 8:00 a.m. local time and ended at 6:00 p.m.

The elections, in which seven candidates competed, were actually fought between two candidates: former National Unity Party (UBP) leader and current President Ersin Tatar and main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman.

Voters elected Tufan Erhürman as the new president of the TRNC.

So who is Tufan Erhürman?

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Chairman Tufan Erhürman was born in Nicosia on September 11, 1970.

Erhürman, who completed his primary and secondary education at Turkish Maarif College, entered Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1988. He completed his master's and doctorate in public law at the same university. He prepared his doctoral dissertation on "The Ombudsman and Non-Legal Control of Authority."

Throughout his academic career, he taught at various universities in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He participated in the establishment of the ombudsman institution within the Turkish Ministry of Justice. His academic work on law and public administration laid the foundation for the "law-based" approach he would later pursue in politics.

Erhürman entered Parliament as a Nicosia Deputy from the Republican Turkish Party in 2013. On November 13, 2016, he assumed the position of CTP Chairman, succeeding Mehmet Ali Talat.

He became prime minister of the four-party coalition government formed following the elections held on January 7, 2018. Erhürman took office on February 2, 2018, and served until May 22, 2019. During his tenure, he emphasized policies of public reform, transparent governance, strengthening local governments, and economic stability. His government lasted 15 months, but after the coalition's dissolution, Erhürman resumed his political influence as opposition leader.

Continuing the tradition of the CTP, Tufan Erhürman advocates a federation-based model for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. According to Erhürman, the "two-state solution" narrative will not only fail to end the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people but could also further alienate the TRNC.

Within this framework, he advocates for a return to the negotiating table on the island, the opening of direct channels of trade and contact, and a solution in which Turkish Cypriots are recognized as equal partners. Erhürman's words, "The Turkish Cypriot people will once again be proud of themselves, their country, and their institutions," summarize his negotiating and conciliatory approach.

Erhürman argues that issues such as territory, security, and sovereignty should be discussed in negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side, but that excluding these issues from the negotiations obstructs the peace process. He wants to establish a foundation for peace and cooperation on the island based on "mutual respect and equality."

Tufan Erhürman follows a clear policy of balance in relations with Türkiye.

He neither adopts an anti-Turkey stance nor accepts Ankara's absolute determinacy. " I haven't had a fight with Turkey, but there are things that need to be discussed, " he says, arguing that relations should be built on dialogue and consultation.

According to Erhürman, the TRNC's institutions must be strong, and relations with Turkey must be based on brotherhood and mutual respect. He does not oppose the principle of Türkiye's guarantor role, but emphasizes that the TRNC's own will must also be protected.

He also stated that the fact that political parties or actors in Türkiye took sides in the TRNC elections "undermines a healthy democratic atmosphere." This stance places him in the position of a leader who "pro-independence but advocates cooperation with Turkey."

The “role” Türkiye has played in the TRNC elections has always been remarkable.

In the 2020 presidential election, which Tatar won, Mustafa Akıncı claimed that he and his family were threatened by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) during the election process and that he was asked to withdraw his candidacy. According to a report by the independent organization "We Are Reporting," AKP and MHP deputies were present in the field, and the Turkish Embassy was used as an election headquarters. Speaking to Medyascope at the time, Akıncı said, "If I had withdrawn my candidacy by pledging allegiance, such interference in the elections wouldn't have occurred."

Numerous politicians from Turkey traveled to the north of the island to campaign for Tatar in these elections. Akıncı also declared his support for Erhürman, saying , "The Turkish Cypriot community, in the person of Tufan Erhürman, must be both the creator and the controller of the new era."

The Republican Turkish Party is ideologically a sister party to the Republican People's Party (CHP). Both parties are members of the Socialist International.

Tufan Erhürman hosted CHP Chairman Özgür Özel in Nicosia on November 15, 2024. Following the meeting, Erhürman said , "The CHP and the CTP are two sister parties that are members of the Socialist International. These contacts will continue with the same frequency from now on."

Under Erhürman's leadership, the CTP maintains its social democratic identity while emphasizing economic reform, transparency in public administration, and social equality. It has adopted an egalitarian perspective in its education, youth, and women's policies.

Erhürman advocates for public administration to become independent of politics, prioritize merit, and strengthen local governments financially. His core political motto is " a country governed by rules and with the dignity of the Turkish Cypriot people ."

His political vision is shaped around the concepts of "peace, equal partnership, and a democratic state governed by the rule of law." He argues that lasting peace in Cyprus will be possible not only through land division but also through a culture of shared governance between the two communities. According to Erhürman, "a solution must be based on the will of the Turkish Cypriot people and built through shared wisdom, not through external intervention."