Elections in Northern Cyprus are organized to elect governments, presidents and representatives of local administrative bodies in Northern Cyprus, known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Electoral system The presidency, which is served in five-year terms, was instituted with TRNC's first presidential election in 1985 and continued with the elections of 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025 and with the next election scheduled for 2030. The legislature, Cumhuriyet Meclisi (Assembly of the Republic of Northern Cyprus), has 50 members, elected for a five-year term by mitigated proportional representation. The territory has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and another party which is also electorally successful.

In the presidential election, a candidate must obtain at least 50% of the votes in order to secure a first-ballot victory. Upon failing to do so, the two top candidates compete in a runoff election, with the winner assuming the presidency.

The mitigated proportional representation system in use for legislative elections obligates each party to cross the 5% of the total vote election threshold in order to be seated in the 50-member parliament, which is chosen from five districts: Lefkoşa, Gazimağusa, Girne, Güzelyurt, İskele and Lefke.

In the parliamentary elections, voters choose individual candidates with two options in the manner of voting: a party-line vote which, in effect, means a vote for each candidate from that party in that election district or, alternatively, the voter may choose different MP candidates from various parties. In this type of mixed voting, the voter may not choose more than the number of MPs from that district.

Residents of Northern Cyprus are eligible to stand for election and vote in the national elections of the Republic of Cyprus, but not able to run for presidencyNicos Trimikliniotis, Corina Demetriou. Evaluating the Anti-Discrimination Law in the Republic of Cyprus: A Critical Reflection (Peace Research Institute) Retrieved 2010-05-07. (the Constitution states that a Turkish-Cypriot should be vice-president of the Republic). Turkish Cypriot communal representation in the Republic of Cyprus government de facto ended in 1963. Until 2004, the case of Ibrahim Aziz in the European Court of Human Rights, Turkish Cypriots could not vote in the Republic of Cyprus.Aziz v. Cyprus , European Court of Human Rights, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Retrieved 2011-05-17.Turkish Cypriots – Parliamentary Elections , Cyprus News Agency, Retrieved 2011-05-17.

Latest elections

2020 Northern Cypriot presidential election

2022 Northern Cypriot parliamentary election

Presidential elections Date:Candidates:Party Affiliation:% Vote:Notes:15 April 2000Mustafa AkıncıMehmet A. TalatArif Hasan T. DesemDerviş EroğluAyhan KaymakRauf R. DenktasSener LeventTurgut AfsarogluTKPCTPYBHUBPIndependent Independent IndependentIndependent%11.70%10.03%2.60%30.14%0.38%43.67%0.92%0.561- Number of registered voters: 1266752-Participation Rate: %81.023-Derviş Eroğlu and Rauf R. Denktas was to run for the second round, but Derviş Eroğlu had forfeited so the second round did not take place15 Feb 1995 1- 1st round of 1995presidential elections.22 April 19951- 2nd round of 1995 presidential elections.22 April 19901- 1st round of 1990 presidential elections.9 June 19851- 1st round of 1985 presidential elections.28 June 19811- 1st round of 1981 presidential elections.

Parliamentary elections Date:Parties:% Votes:Seats:+/-Notes:20 Feb 2005 CTP – Cumhuriyetçi Turk PartisiUBP – Ulusal Birlik PartisiDP – Demokrat PartiBDH – Baris ve Demokrasi HareketiTKP – Toplumcu Kurtuluş PartisiYP – New PartyMAP – Milli Adalet Partisi%44.5%31.7%13.5%5.8%2.4%1.6%0.5241961---+5+1-1-5---1- (+/-) – Difference in seats from 2003 election.14 Dec 2003 CTP – Cumhuriyetçi Turk PartisiUBP – Ulusal Birlik Partisi BDH – Baris ve Demokrasi HareketiDP – Demokrat Parti% 35.18% 32.93% 13.14% %12.931918671- TKP entered the elections under the list of BDH.6 Dec 1998UBP – Ulusal Birlik Partisi DP – Demokrat PartiTKP – Toplumcu Kurtuluş PartisiCTP – Cumhuriyetçi Turk PartisiOthers%40.4 %22.6 %15.4 %13.4 % 8.2241376-1- Others includes UDP, BP, YBH12 Dec 1993UBP – Ulusal Birlik PartisiDP – Demokrat PartiCTP – Cumhuriyetçi Turk PartisiTKP – Toplumcu Kurtuluş PartisiOthers (YKP, MMP, BEP) %29.8 %29.2 %24.2 %13.3 % 3.51715135-1-Early General Elections2- Others include YKP, MMP, BEP13 Oct 1991UBP – Ulusal Birlik Partisi Free Democratic Party (HDP) Others (YKP) %67.1 %13.9 %19111-1- Interim elections done to fill the seats of 12 MPs who had resigned.2- CTP and TKP boycotted the election.3-Others include SDP, MAP, BEP, YDP6 May 1990UBP – Ulusal Birlik PartisiDemocratic Struggle Party (DMP) Others (YKP) %54.7 %44.5 %0.83416-1- DMP is an election alliance party for CTP, TKP, YDP.23 Jun 1985UBP – Ulusal Birlik Partisi CTP – Cumhuriyetçi Turk PartisiTKP – Toplumcu Kurtuluş PartisiYDP – Yeni Dogus Partisi (YDP)Others%36.7 %21.4 %15.8%8.8%17.32412104-Others include TAP, SDP, DHP

In 2009 President Mehmet Ali Talat claimed that in 1990 and 1998 Turkish government officials along with other influential powers from Turkey interfered with the Parliamentary Elections.

See also Mass media in Northern Cyprus

References