A N A LYS I S , illustration, Title photo sual icon or keyvi Dr. Özker Kocadal THE 2025 TURKISH CYPRIOT ELECTION: BETWEEN FEDERATION AND THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION INTRODUCTION Turkish Cypriots went to the polls to elect the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) 1 on Octo­ber 19, 2025. In the election, Tufan Erhürman of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party(CTP) was elected president of the TRNC with a landslide 62.76% of the vote, defeating incumbent President Ersin Tatar, who received 35.81%. In contrast to the presidential system of the Repub ­lic of Cyprus, the TRNC operates under a parliamentary system in which executive power rests with a government led by a prime minister who must command a parliamen­tary majority. The president’s role is largely symbolic in do­mestic governance. However, the Turkish Cypriot president is recognized by Greek Cypriots and the international com­munity as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community and serves as their representative in Cyprus peace talks, giving the office far greater significance than in a typical parlia­mentary republic. For nearly half a century, the Turkish Cypriot community was led by two nationalist figures: Fazıl Küçük, who served from 1960 to 1973, and Rauf Denktaş, who succeeded him and remained in office until 2005. Until 1974 both Küçük and Denktaş held the position of Vice President of the Re ­public of Cyprus. Following the 1974 Turkish intervention in response to a Greek-backed coup that sought union with Greece, the island became de facto divided. In 1975, the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was declared, with Denk­taş winning its presidential elections in 1976 and 1981. Eight years later, in 1983, the Turkish Cypriots unilaterally declared independence, establishing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC). Denktaş subsequently won the TRNC presi ­dential elections in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000, consistently advocating for an independent Turkish Cypriot state and op­posing reunification on a federal basis. Backed by the right­wing National Unity Party(UBP), he maintained strong na­tionalist support, though he faced challenges from UBP leader and Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu in the 1995 and 2000 elections, both of which went to a second round. 1 The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) is only recognised by the Republic of Turkey. While for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, Ersin Tatar serves as President of the TRNC, the international community considers him the communal leader of the Turkish Cypriots. As the government of the Republic of Cyprus remains internationally recog­nised as the government of the whole of the island, the entire island is now considered to be a member of the European Union. However, the acquis communautaire is sus­pended in northern Cyprus pending a political settlement to the Cyprus problem(see Protocol no. 10 of the Accession Treaty). The 2025 Turkish Cypriot Election: Between Federation and the Two-State Solution 1