Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias
The presidential elections held in Northern Cyprus on October 19, 2025, resulted in an overwhelming victory for Tufan Erhürman, the candidate of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP). These results reveal not only who was elected, but also make clear to whom and to what Turkish Cypriots said "no" at the ballot box. Voters turned their backs on a political approach that has failed to address the problems that have deepened in recent years.
Reaction to Economic Crisis and Corruption
The first and most important element that Turkish Cypriots rejected at the ballot box was the deep economic crisis gripping the country and the political actors held responsible for it. The economic downturn affecting northern Cyprus, along with Turkey, has profoundly impacted particularly socioeconomically vulnerable segments of society. These groups, traditionally aligned with the Turkish Cypriot Right, punished the ruling parties that failed to provide solutions in the face of high cost of living and economic hardship.
Allegations of corruption and moral decay directed at the government also played a significant role in this punishment. Events such as the fake diploma scandal that marred the recent period shook public confidence in the administration and caused voters to reflect their anger at the ballot box. Voters refused to grant continued mandate to an administration unable to solve the economic impasse and tainted by scandals.
Rejection of Lifestyle Interference and Lack of Vision
The election results also show that Turkish Cypriots took a strong stand against external interference in their own lifestyle and political will. Voters said "stop" to policies that instrumentalized social values through issues such as headscarf use in schools, attempting to impose their own conservative and autarkic vision of society. Tufan Erhürman's victory can be read, in this sense, as a reflection of Turkish Cypriots' determination to defend their secular and democratic identity.
Additionally, voters rejected the previous administration's vision for the Cyprus problem. The "two-state solution" thesis, which has been on the agenda for five years and has failed to deliver a success story, lost credibility among the public. The belief that this model pushed Turkish Cypriots into greater international isolation and offered no realistic way out of current problems found expression at the ballot box. Erhürman, on the other hand, succeeded in presenting a different alternative with his promise to restart negotiations on a federal basis.
In Conclusion
In the October 19, 2025 elections, Turkish Cypriots clearly vetoed a political approach that failed to remedy the economic deadlock, was worn down by corruption allegations, interfered with their lifestyle, and offered a vision lacking international validity. The people punished the current administration and its policies at the ballot box, demonstrating a strong will for change.
However, this electoral victory does not eliminate the challenges facing new leader Tufan Erhürman. The cohesion of the broad but ideologically diverse coalition supporting Erhürman, the lack of a clear map in social, political and class terms, potential drift within the CTP itself, Ankara's continuing influence on Cyprus politics, and deep disagreements with the Greek Cypriot side on federal solution grounds will be the most important tests of the new period. Therefore, time will tell to what extent Erhürman's victory can provide solutions to the impasses rejected at the ballot box.
Photo: Wikipedia