Pro-Reunification Candidate Tufan Erhurman Elected in Northern Cyprus

Tufan Erhurman joins the crowds celebrating his triumph successful occupied Nicosia. Credit: Tufan Erhurman/Facebook

Tufan Erhurman, the campaigner favoring the reunification of Cyprus based connected a national model, has been elected arsenic the Turkish Cypriot leader, unseating the pro-two-state solution incumbent, Ersin Tatar, successful a monolithic and decisive victory.

The effect marks a important governmental reversal, with Erhurman, a 55-year-old instrumentality professor, securing a commanding 62.8 per cent of the ballot compared to Tatar’s 35.8 per cent. This borderline of triumph is unprecedented and signals a wide mandate from the Turkish Cypriot electorate for a renewed effort toward a negotiated settlement.

Erhurman is the person of the centre-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP). He volition beryllium required to resign from his enactment station successful the coming days, successful adherence to strict section rules concerning governmental neutrality for leaders, earlier formally taking up the relation aboriginal this week. His triumph is expected to bring to an extremity a five-year play during which the Turkish Cypriot side, nether Tatar, refused to prosecute successful negotiations based connected the antecedently agreed-upon bi-zonal, bi-communal federation model.

Erhurman’s connection of unity

Following the result, Erhurman was greeted by a assemblage of thousands successful bluish Nicosia’s Kizilbas Park, wherever helium delivered a unifying triumph speech.

“This predetermination is not an predetermination wherever immoderate radical triumph and others lose. The Turkish Cypriot radical won tonight,” helium stated, emphasizing collaboration. He besides thanked those who had backed his campaign, adjacent acknowledging the anticipation that members of the ruling conjugation parties whitethorn person voted for him fixed the wide margin. “There are galore fantastic things we tin bash together. When we are together, determination is thing we cannot do.”

He concluded his code by promising his unwavering committedness to his constituents, vowing that helium volition “never springiness up connected this land” and “never springiness up connected the children of this country.”

Christodoulides: Ready for reunification talks

President Nikos Christodoulides connected Sunday nighttime congratulated Turkish Cypriot leader-elect Tufan Erhurman connected being elected to the role, and declared his readiness to resume negotiations towards a national solution to the Cyprus problem, which is some men’s stated aim.

“I explicit my congratulations to the caller person of the Turkish Cypriot community, Tufan Erhurman, with respect for the verdict of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots based connected the result of the ballot successful our occupied territories, and I look guardant to gathering him arsenic soon arsenic possible,” helium said.

Of the imaginable of negotiations, helium said, “I reiterate my readiness, steadfast governmental will, and determination to proceed contributing to the effort to resume substantive negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus issue”.

Such talks, helium added, should statesman “from the constituent wherever they were interrupted successful Crans Montana” successful 2017, and “within the model of the declared committedness of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres”.

Athens reacts: “New section of hope”

The quality was instantly welcomed by Athens, wherever Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis released a connection greeting Erhurman’s predetermination arsenic a “new section of anticipation and expectation” successful the effort to reunify Cyprus.

The Minister stressed that this improvement tin supply a much-needed boost to the relaunch of UN-led negotiations, which indispensable beryllium based connected applicable UN resolutions and the principles of planetary law. The goal, helium affirmed, remains a solution that volition unafraid bid and prosperity for some Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots wrong the European framework.

Gerapetritis noted that Athens, successful cleanable coordination with Nicosia, has been moving systematically to bring the Cyprus contented backmost onto the UN Secretary-General’s docket aft years of inertia. He expressed anticipation for the “expanded informal meeting” that is expected to service arsenic the adjacent measurement towards reunification.

“Divisions person nary spot successful the troubled modern planetary scene,” Gerapetritis concluded. “Cyprus indispensable connection the cosmopolitan connection of synthesis and unity.”