By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Former Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar accused New Party (Yeni Parti) Chairman and Türkiye's main opposition leader Özgür Özel of intervening in the October 2025 Turkish Cypriot presidential election by publicly supporting Tufan Erhürman and taking part in political activity with his Republican Turkish Party campaign.
Tatar made the allegation on August 5 during an interview with presenter Nupelda Karabuğday on Ada TV's Günaydın Ada program, where he also discussed renewed United Nations diplomacy, the future of Cyprus negotiations and the competing federal and two-state approaches to the dispute.
"The real intervention was carried out by Özgür Özel," Tatar said, claiming that Özel had identified Erhürman as his preferred candidate and participated in meetings with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP).
"What business did an opposition party have in the election here?" he asked.
Tatar says Özel openly backed Erhürman
Tatar said Özel travelled to northern Cyprus, met CTP officials and engaged in what he described as campaign activity before the vote.
"He came here. He said, 'My candidate is Mr. Tufan,'" Tatar said, adding that Özel and his delegation held meetings with the CTP and conducted "propaganda activities."
Özel was chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) during the election campaign before later becoming chairman of the New Party, which currently forms Türkiye's main opposition. The New Party's official website identifies Özel as its chairman.
Tatar also referred to recordings that he said documented Özel's support, although no such material was shown during the Ada TV interview. Bosphorus News has not independently reviewed separate footage establishing that Özel used the precise wording attributed to him.
The available material therefore confirms Tatar's accusation but does not independently establish that the alleged meetings and public support amounted to formal participation in Erhürman's election campaign.
Debate over outside involvement in the vote
The exchange began when Karabuğday raised earlier claims that political figures from Türkiye had intervened on Tatar's behalf during the election.
Tatar rejected the comparison, saying there had been no equivalent public statement from Turkish officials presenting him as their candidate.
"There was no statement saying, 'My candidate is Tatar,'" he said. "The real intervention was carried out by Özgür Özel."
His remarks turn one of the most contested issues from the 2025 campaign back against Türkiye's opposition, which had accused figures aligned with the governing bloc of seeking to influence Turkish Cypriot voters.
No direct response from Özel or the New Party to Tatar's latest allegation had been identified at the time of publication.
Erhürman replaced Tatar after the 2025 election
Erhürman defeated Tatar in the October 2025 presidential election, ending Tatar's five-year term and taking office as the Turkish Cypriot leader. The Turkish Cypriot Presidency currently identifies Erhürman as president.
The election carried direct implications for the Cyprus negotiating file. Tatar had campaigned on sovereign equality and cooperation between two states, while Erhürman supported renewed talks based on political equality within a federal settlement, subject to a defined methodology and safeguards against another open-ended process.
During the Ada TV interview, Tatar argued that Erhürman's emphasis on political equality represented a return to the federal model and a retreat from the sovereign-equality position pursued during his presidency.
He also said the two-state policy had not been dictated to him by Ankara, claiming that he and his advisory team developed the approach before securing Türkiye's support.
Tatar linked Özel's alleged involvement to that policy divide, pointing to the Turkish parliament's July 18, 2024 declaration supporting a two-state settlement and arguing that CHP lawmakers had backed the decision before the party leadership later supported Erhürman.
His comments reopen the dispute over the role played by political figures from Türkiye during the 2025 campaign, an issue used by rival camps before and after the vote.
Watch the full interview: Ersin Tatar on Ada TV's Günaydın Ada
Sources: Ada TV's Günaydın Ada, New Party, Turkish Cypriot Presidency, Bosphorus News review and reporting.