Ersin Tatar sworn in as new Turkish Cypriot president

Newly elected president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar was sworn into office on Friday, October, 23. 

Tatar was welcomed by Teberruken Ulucay, the parliament speaker, for his swearing-in at the General Assembly in Lefkosa.  

Representing Turkey at the ceremony was Fuat Oktay, the Turkish vice president. Also present were former Turkish Cypriot Presidents Mehmet Ali Talat and Dervis Eroğlu, Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Commander Maj. Gen. Sezai Öztürk,

Following the ceremony, Tatar proceeded to lay wreaths at the memorials of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, and the mausoleums of Turkish Cypriot founding fathers Fazil Kucuk and Rauf Denktaş.

Tatar then proceed to take part in a handing-over ceremony at the presidency, where he took over the reins from his predecessor, Mustafa Akıncı. 

At the handing over ceremony, Akinci said he was leaving with peace of mind that he had done his best to serve the interests of his people and that he had worked towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

I find it useful to remind again of the importance of avoiding steps that would give ‘an out’ to the Greek Cypriot side, which is reluctant to show the necessary will for a solution because they use it as an advantage to represent Cyprus alone by usurping our partnership rights, Akinci said.

Former-Prime Minister Ersin Tatar won last Sunday's presidential runoff in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with 51.74% of the votes, beating incumbent Mustafa Akıncı's 48.26%.

Tatar is Northern Cyprus' fifth president, and is set to serve a five-year term.

Akinci supports of federal solution to the Cyprus problem while Tatar supports a two state solution, a stand backed by Turkey.

The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the U.K.The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in 1983.