North’s independent ‘MPs’ endorse Erhurman for election

The two Turkish Cypriot ‘MPs’ who sit as independents have endorsed opposition candidate Tufan Erhurman’s candidacy for this October’s Turkish Cypriot leader.

Aysegul Baybars and Jale Refik Rogers, who were both elected as part of former chief negotiator Kudret Ozersay’s HP and left the party when he resigned from ‘parliament’ in 2022, jointly announced their endorsement of Erhurman alongside Gulsah Sanver Manavoglu, who was an ‘MP’ for the HP between 2018 and 2022.

Erhurman met all three on Tuesday and said after the meeting that “when I announced my candidacy for the presidency, I extended an invitation – I invited everyone who shares concern for this country, this people, and our children to join me on this journey”.

“I am determined to unite, not divide, to integrate, not fragment, to walk alongside all my companions who have accepted my invitation, and to build our future together with all parts of this people,” he said.

“Our promise is this: in this new era, the presidency will represent the integrity of the people, in accordance with the mandate entrusted to it by the constitution, will not divide or fragment, and will work with all the people of this country, based on merit, regardless of their previous party affiliation or service.”

He added that “no one will be excluded or left out”, and that “the presidency will not be a palace, a mansion, or an office, it will be the home of this people”.

Erhurman is set to challenge incumbent Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for the office of Turkish Cypriot leader on October 19.

Prior to the independents’ endorsement of him, he had been endorsed by his own political party the CTP and fellow opposition party the TDP.

Tatar, meanwhile, has won the endorsement of all three ruling coalition parties, the UBP, the DP, and the YDP.