Turkish Cypriot politicians have condemned Turkey’s far-right leader Devlet Bahçeli’s call for northern Cyprus to join Turkey and become its “82nd province” following the results of Sunday’s presidential election, describing the remarks as a direct insult to the will of the Turkish Cypriot people.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Bahçeli in a statement on Monday urged the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) legislature to “convene immediately, declare the rejection of a return to federation on the divided island and take a decision to join the Republic of Turkey,” claiming that the election was marked by “very low turnout” and that the outcome “cannot be accepted.”
He repeated his suggestion on Tuesday, calling on the Turkish Cypriot parliament to vote to join Turkey as its “82nd province.”
Bahçeli’s remarks came after Turhan Erhürman, leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), secured around 63 percent of the vote compared to Ankara-backed former president Ersin Tatar’s 34 percent.
Bahçeli’s unease appeared to stem from Erhürman’s support for a federal reunification of the divided island, in contrast to Tatar, who campaigned for international recognition of northern Cyprus as an independent state under a two-state model.
Bahçeli’s remarks have drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum in northern Cyprus.
The CTP said in a written statement on X and its website on Tuesday that that Bahçeli’s comments showed “disrespect for the right of the Turkish Cypriot people to self-determination.”
The CTP said respecting the people’s democratic will was the responsibility of all parties and institutions, as the party warned against “statements that damage public confidence.”
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Kıbrıs Türk halkının iradesini değersizleştiren herhangi bir siyasi söylem bizim için kabul edilebilir değildirhttps://t.co/0FdJQG4U0Z pic.twitter.com/N3FU6uvcEp
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“The suggestion that northern Cyprus should be Turkey’s 82nd province is completely unacceptable,” the party said, adding that Bahçeli’s remarks violated “the political equality and self-governing struggle” of the Turkish Cypriot community as well as international law.
Cyprus has been divided since Turkey’s 1974 military intervention following a Greek-backed coup. The northern part of the island declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara. Internationally recognized Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004.
‘An insult to the people’s struggle’
Zeki Çeler, head of the left-wing Social Democratic Party (TDP), said Bahçeli’s comments were “an insult to the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people” and reflected “an inability to accept democracy.”
“Such statements disrespect the sacrifices made during the community’s struggle for existence and carry the stench of fascism,” Çeler said in an interview with the local Gündem Kıbrıs newspaper.
He called on Bahçeli to “learn the history of the Turkish Cypriot people, accept it and apologize,” stressing that the Turkish Cypriot community had freely expressed its will at the ballot box.
The TDP also supports the establishment of a federal government on the island.
‘This country belongs to us’
The democratic socialist New Cyprus Party (YKP) also issued a statement condemning Bahçeli’s remarks and congratulating Erhürman on his victory. “This country belongs to us,” the statement said, accusing Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the MHP, of long-standing political interference in northern Cyprus.
The YKP said Bahçeli’s call for annexation reflected Ankara’s “irredentist ambitions” and likened it to a continuation of Turkey’s decades-long policy of tightening control over the north.
Tatar, who was elected in 2020, has spent the past five years pushing a two-state solution backed by the government in Ankara, an effort that many said failed and deepened the Turkish Cypriots’ isolation from the international community.
Under Tatar’s administration, the economy of the KKTC, already under trade restrictions and international embargoes, grew increasingly dependent on Turkey.
“The people’s resistance to Ankara’s interventions is significant,” the statement said, adding that confidence in the political system had “eroded beyond denial.”
‘Deeply hurtful’
Serdar Denktaş, founder of the Social Justice and Struggle Party (TAM) and son of the late Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş, said Bahçeli’s words had “deeply hurt” him as a citizen of the KKTC.
“Our people turned out in large numbers and expressed their will at the ballot box,” he said. “Except for Bahçeli, all other Turkish officials, including President Erdoğan, have respected the outcome and congratulated President Erhürman, which is the normal and proper thing to do.”
In contrast to Bahçeli, his political ally, President Erdoğan congratulated Erhürman, saying he hoped the results would “benefit our nations and the region.” The message marked a conciliatory tone despite Erdoğan’s open support for Tatar during the campaign.
Denktaş warned that annexationist rhetoric would only damage the relationship between the two communities and undermine Turkey’s own position in the region. “If the aim of the ‘two-state solution’ is to dissolve the KKTC and make [northern] Cyprus part of the Republic of Turkey, our people’s answer will be a resounding no,” he said.
The turnout from the north’s 218,000 registered voters was nearly 65 percent.