Mete HATAY / Nicosia
The presidential elections held in northern Cyprus symbolise not only a change of leadership but also a silent rebellion against a long-standing system of tutelage. Tufan Erhürman’s landslide victory in this election marks the return of Turkish Cypriots to their own historical stage, declaring ‘we are still here’.
The election process was perhaps the scene of one of the most intense foreign interventions in recent years. Ministers, MPs, religious leaders, footballers and even pop stars from Turkey arrived on the island one after another. The mainstream media broadcast the ‘Ersin Tatar Show’ almost every evening. The cliché ‘If Cyprus goes, Turkey ends’ was staged to the sound of war drums.
But it didn’t work. Turkish Cypriots were not afraid, they did not cower, they did not surrender.
This time, the people referred to as ‘our brothers’ went to the polls precisely to defend the honour of brotherhood.
‘We are brothers, but we are not orderlies.’
A MESSAGE THAT CROSSES BORDERS
This election is a manifesto that must be read not only in Nicosia but also in Ankara. Because this result is the refusal of a people, coded by the government as ‘our people,’ to be governed against their will.
Turkish Cypriots also sent a message to the Turkish people:
‘We want equality, not a saviour.’
This sentence could be the mirror of everyone fighting for democracy, secularism and social justice in Turkey today. For the struggle of Turkish Cypriots is not just an island issue; it is a civic resistance against authoritarianism, trusteeship and submission.
A NEW POLITICAL MAP
The most striking aspect of the election was that a significant portion of citizens of Turkish origin also voted for Erhürman. The distinction between ‘native’ and ‘immigrant’ gave way to a shared quest for justice.
This is an indication that the left has, for the first time, established a truly inclusive social base in the north of Cyprus.
THE END OF THE PUPPET REGIME
In the north, governed by a semi-presidential system, this result effectively ended the legitimacy of the current government. The clear will of the people declares that the UBP-DP-YDP coalition, dependent on Ankara, has reached the end of its term. The election result is clear: early elections are a must.
Because this time, the people elected not just a president, but a representative of their own will.
TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE WORLD
This result is also a clear call to the international community:
‘Despite everything, there is a democratic will in Cyprus.’
Turkish Cypriots have begun to crack down the walls of isolation that have lasted for years with their own hands. Any policy that ignores this will erode not only the status quo on the island but also democratic hopes in the region.
This election is the result of a maturity, a democratic patience, that has been quietly growing in the north of the island.
A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION IN TURKEY
And of course, this message is directed not only at the government but also at the opposition in Turkey.
Any political approach that still views Cyprus as a ‘file’ and considers the will of the people living here as a diplomatic detail is now outdated.
The demand of Turkish Cypriots is neither separation nor surrender; it is, first and foremost, respect and equality.
Today, a people in the north of Cyprus remembered their own will.
Perhaps this is a reminder not just for others, but for everyone.
Democracy finds its way, even in the quietest of moments.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Kıbrıs’ın kuzeyinde halk konuştu: İradenin dönüşü, published in BirGün newspaper on October 20, 2025.
