President of Northern Cyprus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Presidential Standard
Presidential Seal
Incumbent Ersin Tatar since 23 October 2020
Style	Mr. President (informal) The Honourable (formal) His Excellency (formal, diplomatic)
Residence	Presidential palace North Nicosia
Term length	5 years
Inaugural holder	Rauf Denktaş
Formation	15 November 1983
Salary	₺45,000 annually (2021)

The President of Northern Cyprus is the leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This country is not recognized by most other nations. The president acts as the head of state.

Rauf Denktaş was the first president. He helped create Northern Cyprus. After him, Mehmet Ali Talat, Derviş Eroğlu, and Mustafa Akıncı served. The current president is Ersin Tatar.

How the President is Chosen

The president is elected by the people every five years. If no candidate gets more than half of the votes in the first round, a second election is held. The top two candidates from the first round compete again.

Who Can Be President?

To become president, a person must meet certain rules. They must have been born on the island of Cyprus. They also need to have lived in Northern Cyprus for at least five years. Candidates must have finished secondary school. They also need to be older than 30 years old.

What the President Does

The president of Northern Cyprus has many important jobs. It is not just a symbolic role. The president has real power in the government.

President's Powers and Duties

• The president can lead meetings of the Council of Ministers, which is like the cabinet of government ministers.
• They approve important judges, including the head of the Supreme Court.
• The president can send new laws passed by the parliament to the highest court for review.
• If a government cannot be formed within 60 days, or if three governments fail, the president can call for new elections.
• The president is usually the main person who talks about solving the Cyprus dispute. This is a long-standing issue about the island's future.
• They are also in charge of how Northern Cyprus deals with other countries.

When the President is Away

If the president is traveling outside the country, the speaker of the Assembly of the Republic takes their place. The speaker is the leader of the parliament.

Past Presidents of Northern Cyprus

Northern Cyprus has had several presidents since it was formed.

Leaders of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (1975–1983)

Before Northern Cyprus declared independence, it was called the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. This state was meant to be a self-governing part of Cyprus. However, the government of the Republic of Cyprus did not accept this idea.

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Portrait	Elected	Time in Office		Political Party
1	Rauf Denktaş (1924–2012)		1976 1981	13 February 1975	15 November 1983	Independent (until 11 October 1975) National Unity Party (11 October 1975 onwards)

Presidents of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (1983–Present)

Northern Cyprus declared its independence in 1983. This happened after the Republic of Cyprus refused to recognize the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. Here are the presidents since then:

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Portrait	Elected	Time in Office		Political Party
1	Rauf Denktaş (1924–2012)		1985 1990 1995 2000	15 November 1983	24 April 2005	National Unity Party
–	Hakkı Atun (born 1935) (acting)		–	15 March 1990	25 April 1990	National Unity Party
2	Mehmet Ali Talat (born 1952)		2005	24 April 2005	23 April 2010	Republican Turkish Party
3	Derviş Eroğlu (born 1938)		2010	23 April 2010	30 April 2015	National Unity Party
4	Mustafa Akıncı (born 1947)		2015	30 April 2015	23 October 2020	Independent
5	Ersin Tatar (born 1960)		2020	23 October 2020	Incumbent	National Unity Party

Latest Presidential Election

The most recent presidential election in Northern Cyprus took place on 11 October 2020. Ersin Tatar won this election and became the current president.

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Chipre del Norte para niños

• Politics of Northern Cyprus
• Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus