Tufan Erhürman Sworn In as Leader of Turkish Cypriots

Tufan Erhürman was sworn in on Friday as the leader of the Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus in a brief ceremony at the “parliament.”

The ceremony was attended by Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Turkey’s Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri, as well as prominent Turkish Cypriots, including former leader Mehmet Ali Talat and several former prime ministers. During the oath, Erhürman was accompanied by the “Deputy Speaker of the Parliament” Fazilet Özdenefe. After the Turkish national anthem was played, he embraced the deputies on the legislative benches.

Erhürman is expected to meet his predecessor Ersin Tatar at the official residence of the Turkish Cypriot leader near the “parliament” for the formal handover of power. Erhürman, a 55-year-old law professor, has been a member of the Northern Cyprus legislative assembly since 2013 and advocates a federal solution to the Cyprus issue. Between 2016 and the previous Thursday, he led the center-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and was forced to resign from the party leadership due to the rules on party affiliation for the head of administration.

Erhürman achieved an unprecedented victory in Sunday’s elections, unseating Tatar and receiving a record number of votes. His first foreign visit is expected to Ankara to meet with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In Cyprus, he is scheduled to meet the new UN High Representative Hossam Diagne and later the negotiator María Angela Olguín ahead of the third expanded Cyprus talks, planned in New York by the end of November. The meeting will include representatives from both sides of Cyprus, the guarantors — Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom — as well as the UN.