NICOSIA (AP) — Breakaway Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically divided island of Cyprus cast ballots Sunday in an election seen by many as a choice between deeper alignment with Turkey or a shift toward closer ties with the rest of Europe.
There are approximately 218,000 registered voters, and polls close at 1500 GMT. Seven candidates are vying for the leadership position, but the main two contenders are the hard-right incumbent Ersin Tatar and the center-left Tufan Erhurman.
Tatar, 65, is a vocal supporter of permanently dividing Cyprus by pursuing international recognition for a Turkish Cypriot state that would align even closer with Turkey’s political, economic, and social policies. He has taken his cue from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who reiterated at the U.N. General Assembly last month that there are “two separate states” on Cyprus and called for formal international recognition of a Turkish Cypriot “state.”
Erhurman, 55, advocates returning to negotiations with Greek Cypriots to forge a two-zone federation. He has criticized Tatar’s reluctance to engage in formal peace talks during his five-year tenure as a costly loss of time that has pushed Turkish Cypriots further to the international periphery.
Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded days after Greek junta-backed supporters of union with Greece staged a coup. Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983, but only Turkey recognizes this declaration and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the island’s northern third.
Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot south — where the internationally recognized government is seated — enjoys full membership benefits. Many Turkish Cypriots hold EU-recognized Cyprus passports but live in the north.
Greek Cypriots consider the two-state proposition a non-starter, as it contradicts the U.N. and EU-endorsed federation framework. They reject any formal partition out of fear that Turkey would seek to control the entire island.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has repeatedly stated that there is no chance for talks premised on the existence of two states.
https://wtop.com/europe/2025/10/turkish-cypriots-vote-in-an-election-seen-as-a-choice-on-deeper-turkey-ties-or-closer-eu-relations/