kids encyclopedia robot

President of Northern Cyprus facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
President of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Flag of the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg
Presidential Standard
Emblem of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (without text).svg
Presidential Seal
Ilham Aliyev received President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Konya (1) (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Ersin Tatar

since 23 October 2020
Style
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)
Rauf Denktash.jpg 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)
Rauf Denktash.jpg 1985
1990
1995
2000
15 November 1983 24 April 2005 National Unity Party
Hakkı Atun
(born 1935)
(acting)
Hakkı Atun.jpg 15 March 1990 25 April 1990 National Unity Party
2 Mehmet Ali Talat
(born 1952)
Mehmet Ali Talat.jpg 2005 24 April 2005 23 April 2010 Republican Turkish Party
3 Derviş Eroğlu
(born 1938)
Derviş Eroğlu (cropped).jpg 2010 23 April 2010 30 April 2015 National Unity Party
4 Mustafa Akıncı
(born 1947)
Mustafa Akıncı 2017.jpg 2015 30 April 2015 23 October 2020 Independent
5 Ersin Tatar
(born 1960)
Ilham Aliyev received President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Konya (1) (cropped).jpg 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.

Candidate Party First round Second round
Votes % Votes %
Ersin Tatar National Unity Party 35,825 32.35 67,322 51.69
Mustafa Akıncı Independent 33,053 29.84 62,910 48.31
Tufan Erhürman Republican Turkish Party 24,008 21.68
Kudret Özersay Independent 6,356 5.74
Erhan Arıklı Rebirth Party 5,937 5.36
Serdar Denktaş Independent 4,653 4.20
Fuat Türköz Çiner Nationalist Democracy Party 327 0.30
Arif Salih Kırdağ Independent 282 0.25
Alpan Uz Independent 156 0.14
Ahmet Boran Independent 83 0.07
Mustafa Ulaş Independent 69 0.06
Total 110,749 100.00 130,232 100.00
Valid votes 110,749 95.66 130,232 97.24
Invalid/blank votes 5,027 4.34 3,699 2.76
Total votes 115,776 100.00 133,931 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 198,867 58.22 199,029 67.29
Source: Kibris Online, Kibris Online

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Presidente de Chipre del Norte para niños

kids search engine
President of Northern Cyprus Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.