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The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is gearing up for a presidential election scheduled for Oct. 19, as campaign bans took effect on Monday.
The Supreme Election Council (YSK) confirmed that restrictions, which prohibit government officials from exploiting state resources or making campaign-related announcements from public office, will remain in place until Oct. 18, a day before the first round of voting.
Incumbent President Ersin Tatar, who won the 2020 election with a platform emphasizing sovereignty and equal status in Cyprus talks, will seek a second mandate. Main opposition leader Tufan Erhürman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), academic Mehmet Hasgüler and Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) candidate Osman Zorba have also declared their candidacies.
The TRNC elects its president by direct popular vote every five years. If no candidate secures a simple majority in the first round, the top two contenders advance to a runoff held within a week.
Candidates must be at least 35 years old, hold a university degree, be citizens of the TRNC born to Turkish parents and have lived in the country for at least five years. The most recent local elections in 2022 recorded 208,236 registered voters, with a minimum voting age of 18.
The election bans, outlined in a 16-article framework, apply not only to presidential hopefuls but also to the sitting president, prime minister and Cabinet members. Officials are bound by the TRNC’s Election and Referendum Law, which restricts the use of state resources and campaign-related speeches in official capacities to ensure a fair vote.
The office of the presidency has been central to both domestic governance and international negotiations on the Cyprus issue, from the founding leadership of Rauf Denktaş to more recent presidents Mehmet Ali Talat, Derviş Eroğlu and Mustafa Akıncı.
According to the YSK, political parties must nominate candidates by Sept. 9, with applications accepted starting Sept. 12. The final list of contenders will be released Sept. 22 after review. Voter rolls will be finalized Sept. 29, and the order of candidates on ballot papers and campaign broadcasts will also be determined that month.
Campaign airtime on state broadcaster BRT begins on Sept. 23, with requests accepted until Sept. 28. Voter cards will be distributed starting Oct. 16, and all campaigning will cease Oct. 18.
The election comes at a time of heightened debate over the island’s future. Ankara and the TRNC continue to call for a two-state solution, stressing the need for international recognition of the TRNC and the equal political rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup backed by Athens sought to annex the island to Greece, prompting Türkiye to intervene as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots. Nearly a decade later, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
Today, Greek Cypriots control the south and are recognized internationally despite their rejection of multiple U.N. peace initiatives, while the TRNC in the north is recognized solely by Türkiye.
U.N.-sponsored talks have repeatedly failed, most notably the 2017 conference in Switzerland.
Informal meetings have continued in recent years, including one in Geneva last March, which focused on cooperation in areas such as border crossings, demining and environmental protection.
While some progress was made, the Greek Cypriot side’s opposition has stalled substantive political talks.
U.N. envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, reappointed in May, has since conducted multiple visits and consultations with leaders and officials on the island, as well as in Türkiye, Greece, the U.K. and the EU. Despite her efforts, core political disagreements remain unresolved.
