Turkey’s main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel recently claimed that there has been interference from Turkey in the upcoming elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader in the northern part of Cyprus.
The Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network (CIReN) examined the allegations of interference on behalf of the current Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, conducted a fact-check and issued its verdict.
The Claim
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party CHP, posted a message on his social media account on 9 October 2025, alluding to interference in the Turkish Cypriot leadership elections on Sunday 19 October and called for respect for the will of the Turkish Cypriot people.
“Our party is calling on all individuals and institutions in our country to respect the free will of the Turkish Cypriot community and to be diligent in ensuring that this free will is duly materialized,” Ozel said. “The TRNC and its citizens have the maturity to elect their own president within democratic principles. Those in Turkey or outside, who disregard this and seek to interfere in the elections will inflict the greatest damage on the dignity of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriots.”
Similar allegations of interference have been made by Turkish Cypriot politicians including head of the Turkish Cypriot People’s Party Kudret Ozersay; and head of the newly established Social Justice and Struggle Party TAM and son of late Turkish Cypriot leader, Serdar Denktas; Mayor of Nicosia Turkish Municipality Mehmet Harmanci; and prominent activists Okan Dagli and Selma Eylem.
The Facts
The Turkish Cypriot community will go to polls on Sunday 19 October to choose a leader. Although there are a total of eight candidates running in the election, the race is predominantly between the incumbent hardliner Ersin Tatar, and the moderate Tufan Erhurman.
Tatar, who is running as an independent with the support of the right wing ruling-coalition, has built his election campaign on the recognition of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state and a two-state solution for the Cyprus problem. His Cyprus policy is fully aligned with Turkey’s Justice and Development Party AKP leadership. He declares efforts for a federation dead and asserts that Turkey’s presence in Cyprus is vital to the security of Turkish Cypriots.
Erhurman, who is backed by a coalition of mostly left wing parties, has a moderate stance on a federal solution to the Cyprus problem and a more balanced approach to ties with Turkey. He emphasises dialogue both with Turkey and the Greek Cypriot community.
Visits
CIReN, searching state news agencies, official websites and personal social media accounts, was able to identify visits and statements by at least a dozen lawmakers and officials from Turkey’s ruling coalition of AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party MHP in support of Tatar since the onset of the election campaign last month.
Among the most prominent were Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz; former Chief of Staff of Turkey and Minister of National Defense, and the current President of the National Defense Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Hulusi Akar; and Turkey’s last prime minister and former speaker of the Assembly Binali Yildirim.
A central message in all of Turkish Vice President Yilmaz’ speeches – who made numerous appearances in various events alongside Tatar during the month of October – was two states and Turkey’s guarantees – both central elements of Tatar’s campaign.
On Sunday 12 October, during a cultural event by the Turkish population, who have settled in the northern part of Cyprus, Yilmaz declared:
“We support a two-state solution. We do not believe it is right to revive methods that have been attempted for fifty years without success. The federation issue is closed. It is time to speak the truth. The reality of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus exists, and no one can ignore this reality.” Yilmaz reminded the attendees that this policy is resolutely defended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Former Chief of Staff Akar, besides visiting Tatar, attended a number of campaign events. In a village gathering he declared: “We didn’t get to this point easily. There’s no turning back from this… Building a partnership with this mindset is impossible. We’ll abandon the notions of federation and confederation. We’ll do whatever is necessary from now on. May the Turkish Republic of Cyprus be blessed.”
On 8 October, former prime minister Yildirim, who was in Cyprus posted on his social media: “Our Cypriot brothers will elect a President on October 19, 2025. My brothers and sisters must remember that stability and security will be ensured by the continuation of the current administration. Under the leadership of TRNC President Mr. Ersin Tatar, TRNC is in safe hands!”
Perhaps the most direct message from Turkish President Erdogan was delivered through the former Arsenal and Real Madrid footballer and member of Germany’s World Cup-winning national team Mesut Ozil. The former German football player with Turkish roots, is now a member of the AKP central decision and executive board. Ozil, during his visit to Tatar on 30 September, expressed strong support for Tatar’s two-state solution policy.. The real surprise was however during an event he attended with the Turkish Cypriot youth in Nicosia. During the gathering, President Erdogan called Ozil and greeted the youth through the speakerphone. “They should do whatever they can to win the Cyprus elections,” Erdogan said through Ozil’s phone. The whole conversation was broadcast live by tens of media outlets covering the event.
Erhan Arikli, who is a minister in the right-wing coalition that backs Tatar, admitted on live TV that Turkey’s Former Interior Minister and current Hatay MP Süleyman Soylu accompanied by a group of AKP and MHP MPs are visiting especially the villages that are strongholds of people who settled in Cyprus from Hatay.
Umit Ozdag, head of the ultranationalist Zafer (Victory) Party in Turkey visited Cyprus and attended a TV program where he said: “We are here to support two separate states.” “Neither federation nor nothing. There is a single way out here and that is two separate independent states.”
The Verdict: True
The allegation that Turkey is interfering with and intervening in the 19 October elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader is true. CIReN has determined at least a dozen Turkish officials visiting the island, accompanying incumbent leader Tatar and addressing gatherings of voters. The messages they gave were fully in line with the election promises of Tatar from a two-state solution in Cyprus to the death of federation, to Turkey staying a guarantor for Turkish Cypriots forever. In this, there is no room for any suspicion that Turkish government officials openly endorsed Tatar in the upcoming elections.
This project is supported by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF). The sole responsibility for any content supported by the European Media and Information Fund lies with the authors and it may not necessarily reflect the positions of the EMIF and the Fund Partners, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute.
