The president is elected every five years. Presidential elections are held in two rounds if no candidate gains more than 50% of the votes in the first round. It is necessary that the president is originated from the island of Cyprus. The president must have lived in the country for five years, received secondary education and be over 30 years old.
The presidency is not a ceremonial position in the semi-presidential political system of Northern Cyprus. The president reserves the right to dismiss the Assembly of the Republic in case a government cannot be formed within sixty days or three successive governments receive votes of no confidence. They also can preside over the Council of Ministers if they wish to do so, approve the appointments of the judges and president of the Supreme Court and have the right to send laws approved by the Assembly of the Republic to the Supreme Court.
The president has also traditionally been the chief negotiator for the resolution of the Cyprus dispute and been responsible for the foreign relations of Northern Cyprus.
The president is represented by the speaker of the Assembly of the Republic when the president is abroad.
The most recent presidential election was held on 19 October 2025. Tufan Erhürman is the current president.
List of officeholders
President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (1975–1983)
The Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was intended as an autonomous part of Cyprus, but was rejected by the government of the Republic of Cyprus.
- Rauf Denktaş(1924–2012) — 19761981 — 13 February 1975 — 15 November 1983 — 8 years, 275 days — Independent(until 11 October 1975) National Unity Party(11 October 1975 onwards)
Presidents of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (1983–present)
This list gives all presidents after Northern Cyprus' unilateral declaration of independence in 1983, which followed after the refusal of the government of the Republic of Cyprus to recognize the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus.
- Rauf Denktaş(1924–2012) — 1985 — 15 November 1983 — 15 March 1990 — 6 years, 120 days — National Unity Party
- Hakkı Atun(born 1935)(acting) — — — 15 March 1990 — 25 April 1990 — 41 days — National Unity Party
- Rauf Denktaş(1924–2012) — 199019952000 — 25 April 1990 — 24 April 2005 — 14 years, 364 days — National Unity Party
- Mehmet Ali Talat(born 1952) — 2005 — 24 April 2005 — 23 April 2010 — 4 years, 364 days — Republican Turkish Party
- Derviş Eroğlu(born 1938) — 2010 — 23 April 2010 — 30 April 2015 — 5 years, 7 days — National Unity Party
- Mustafa Akıncı(born 1947) — 2015 — 30 April 2015 — 23 October 2020 — 5 years, 176 days — Independent
- Ersin Tatar(born 1960) — 2020 — 23 October 2020 — 24 October 2025 — 5 years, 1 day — National Unity Party
- Tufan Erhürman(born 1970) — 2025 — 24 October 2025 — Incumbent — 330 days — Republican Turkish Party
Timeline
Latest election
- Tufan Erhürman — Republican Turkish Party — 87,137 — 62.76
- Ersin Tatar — Independent — 49,714 — 35.81
- Arif Salih Kırdağ [tr] — Independent — 458 — 0.33
- Osman Zorba — Cyprus Socialist Party [tr] — 443 — 0.32
- İbrahim Yazıcı — Independent — 331 — 0.24
- Mehmet Hasgüler [tr] — Independent — 300 — 0.22
- Hüseyin Gürlek — Independent — 258 — 0.19
- Ahmet Boran — Independent — 198 — 0.14
- Total — 138,839 — 100.00
- 138,839 — 98.12
- 2,665 — 1.88
- 141,504 — 100.00
- 218,313 — 64.82
- Source: YSK