Tufan Erhürman

Tufan Erhürman
Erhürman in 2025
6th President of Northern Cyprus
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 October 2025
Prime MinisterÜnal Üstel
Preceded byErsin Tatar
Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus
In office
2 February 2018 – 22 May 2019
PresidentMustafa Akıncı
DeputyKudret Özersay
Preceded byHüseyin Özgürgün
Succeeded byErsin Tatar
Leader of the Republican Turkish Party
In office
13 November 2016 – 24 October 2025
Preceded byMehmet Ali Talat
Succeeded bySıla Usar İncirli
Member of the Assembly of Republic
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 July 2013
ConstituencyLefkoşa (2013, 2018)
Personal details
Born (1970-09-11) 11 September 1970 (age 55)
Nicosia, Cyprus
CitizenshipCypriot
PartyRepublican Turkish (until 2025)
SpouseNilden Bektaş Erhürman
EducationTürk Maarif Koleji
Alma materAnkara University (LLB, LLM, PhD)
Websitetufanerhurman.org

Tufan Erhürman (born 11 September 1970) is a Turkish Cypriot academic, lawyer, diplomat, and politician who has been the 6th President of Northern Cyprus since 2025. A scholar in public law by profession, he served in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute between 2008 and 2010. He previously worked for the Ministry of Justice of Turkey between 1999 and 2004 and worked for the establishment of the position of ombudsman in Turkey. He served as the leader of the Republican Turkish Party between 2016 and 2025, until his ascension to the Presidency. He held the office of Prime Minister beginning January 2018 as the leader of a four-party coalition.[1] The coalition government resigned on 9 May 2019,[2] with Erhürman continuing as Prime Minister until the office was taken over by Ersin Tatar on 22 May 2019.[3] He was elected president of Northern Cyprus in a landslide in the 2025 Northern Cypriot presidential election.[4]

Education

Erhürman finished his secondary education in Türk Maarif Koleji. He was then enrolled to study law at Ankara University in 1988. He received his master's degree and doctorate from Ankara University as well. His 2001 PhD thesis was on the "Non-Juridical Inspection of the Authority and the Ombdusman".[5]

Academic career

Erhürman lectured on public law at the Ankara University, Middle East Technical University and Hacettepe University between 1995 and 2001. He then lectured at the Eastern Mediterranean University from 2001 to 2006, and from 2008 to 2013. Erhürman also lectured at the Near East University between the years of 2006 and 2008.[6]

Political career

Erhürman became involved in the negotiations to solve the Cyprus dispute under President Mehmet Ali Talat between 2008 and 2010.

He ran for a Nicosia seat at the Assembly of the Republic in the 2013 elections and became a Member of Parliament as a candidate of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces.[7] He worked extensively to change the constitution where 23 changes were agreed by all 4 parties which were being represented in the parliament at that time.[8] However, 62.3% of the voters rejected the new constitution in the 2014 referendum. He became the Secretary General of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces.[9]

On 13 November 2016, Erhürman became the leader of the Republican Turkish Party and thus of the main opposition.[10]

He was reelected as a Member of the Parliament during the 2018 snap elections, however he could not prevent his party from losing 9 seats. On 19 January 2018, negotiations started to form a coalition between 4 parties, the Republican Turkish Party, the People's Party, the Democratic Party and the Communal Democracy Party,[11] ultimately succeeding in the formation of the Erhürman cabinet.

On 19 October 2025, Erhürman defeated incumbent president Ersin Tatar in the 2025 Northern Cypriot presidential election, winning 62.76% of the vote.[12]

Political positions

Erhürman has stated his support for the reunification of Cyprus under a federal model.[12] However he has also stated that he would not go down such a route without the approval of the government of Turkey.

Electoral history

2025 Northern Cypriot presidential election

CandidatePartyVotes%
Tufan ErhürmanRepublican Turkish Party87,13762.76
Ersin TatarIndependent49,71435.81
Arif Salih Kırdağ [tr]Independent4590.33
Osman ZorbaCyprus Socialist Party [tr]4430.32
İbrahim YazıcıIndependent3300.24
Mehmet Hasgüler [tr]Independent3000.22
Hüseyin GürlekIndependent2570.19
Ahmet BoranIndependent1990.14
Total138,839100.00
Valid votes138,83998.04
Invalid/blank votes2,7761.96
Total votes141,615100.00
Registered voters/turnout218,31364.87
Source: Cyprus Post

2020 Northern Cypriot presidential election

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Ersin TatarNational Unity Party35,82532.3567,32251.69
Mustafa AkıncıIndependent33,05329.8462,91048.31
Tufan ErhürmanRepublican Turkish Party24,00821.68
Kudret ÖzersayIndependent6,3565.74
Erhan ArıklıRebirth Party5,9375.36
Serdar DenktaşIndependent4,6534.20
Fuat Türköz ÇinerNationalist Democracy Party3270.30
Arif Salih KırdağIndependent2820.25
Alpan UzIndependent1560.14
Ahmet BoranIndependent830.07
Mustafa UlaşIndependent690.06
Total110,749100.00130,232100.00
Valid votes110,74995.66130,23297.24
Invalid/blank votes5,0274.343,6992.76
Total votes115,776100.00133,931100.00
Registered voters/turnout198,86758.22199,02967.29
Source: Kibris Online, Kibris Online

References

  1. ^ "Turkish Cypriot President Akıncı approves TRNC's new 4-party coalition | Daily Sabah". Daily Sabah. 2 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Ruling coalition resigns in Turkish Cyprus - World News". Hurriyetdailynews.com. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ^ "KKTC'de Ersin Tatar başbakanlık görevini devraldı - Son dakika haberleri". Sozcu.com.tr. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  4. ^ Smith, Helena (19 October 2025). "Landslide win for pro-EU Turkish Cypriot candidate raises hopes for peace". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Genel Başkan Tufan Erhürman". Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi Birleşik Güçler. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Tufan Erhürman – Hakkımda". Tufan Erhürman. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. ^ "İşte yeni vekiller". Yeni Düzen. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Erhürman Anayasa'da yapılan değişiklikleri anlattı". Ada Haber. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  9. ^ "CTP-BG'nin yeni Genel Sekreteri Tufan Erhürman". Kıbrıs Postası. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  10. ^ "CTP Kurultayı'nda tek aday Erhürman genel başkan ilan edildi". BRTK. BRT. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  11. ^ ""İyi niyetle" başladılar". Yeni Düzen. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Turkish Cypriots elect Tufan Erhurman in northern Cyprus polls". Al Jazeera. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tufan_Erh%C3%BCrman