Presidential elections underway in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Presidential elections are being held today in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), with voters heading to the polls for the first round of voting, Azernews reports, citing Haber Global.

According to information, polls opened at 8:00 AM and will remain open until 6:00 PM local time.

A total of 777 polling stations have been set up across the TRNC, where 218,313 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. To win the presidency in the first round, a candidate must secure an absolute majority—that is, more than 50% of the valid votes.

If no candidate achieves this threshold, the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff election held within seven days. The candidate who receives the most votes in the second round will be declared the next President of the TRNC.

This year, seven candidates are contesting the election, five of whom are running as independents. Among them is the incumbent president, Ersin Tatar, who is seeking re-election as an independent candidate.