Erhürman: “After October, Our Smiles Will Multiply”

At the event, which drew significant local participation and attention to Erhürman as the CTP’s presidential candidate, Erhürman said the country was going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. “We are facing major challenges both internally and externally. The population is unknown, schools are overwhelmed, roads are overburdened, and the economy is in disarray. The South has become cheaper than the North,” he stated.

Highlighting the lack of international contact, Erhürman said, “For the first time in our history, no negotiations are taking place, no new crossings have opened, and we are disconnected from the world.”

He underscored the importance of the presidency as the community leadership position for Turkish Cypriots, recognized by the United Nations. “This office should be in dialogue with the world and Europe. But today, it is isolated. People are telling their children not to come back to this country.”

Framing the October election as a breaking point, Erhürman added, “I’m not voting for myself. I’m voting for my four-year-old son, for your children and grandchildren. We must act with this awareness. If we live through another five years like the last, we cannot imagine the outcome.”

He promised that after October, the presidency would no longer be a palace, but the house of the Turkish Cypriot people—a place for youth, women, children, and people with disabilities.

“The Presidency will once again be the center of dialogue with the international community,” he said, vowing that the Turkish Cypriot will to find a solution will return to the table after a four-and-a-half-year hiatus.

“Everything is about smiling together in the coolness of October,” Erhürman concluded. “We will close the dark chapter and open a new one for the future of our children.”