Ersin Tatar, who lost the election, speaks out on Cübbeli: 'His prayer cost me 5 percentage points'

Former President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar made remarkable statements in an interview he gave in Turkey following his defeat against Republican Turkish Party candidate Tufan Erhürman on October 19. Tatar stated that the prayer and video shared by Cübbeli Ahmet in his favor before the election caused a loss of votes.

Tatar expressed that the video Cübbeli Ahmet released just before the election created a negative impact among Cypriot voters and that this situation cost him 5 percent of the vote. Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot people maintain an independent stance against external influences, he said, "This public does not buy such things."

Stating that Erhürman used the promise of a "Greek/EU passport" as his biggest trump card during the election campaign, Tatar argued that while such a promise might seem attractive, it was not realistic. Tatar said it was natural for his strong relations with Ankara to be reflected in his campaign and that he had established good relations with every region in Turkey.

Touching upon MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's statements regarding the TRNC becoming Turkey's 82nd province, Tatar stated that the federation thesis would turn the island into a province of the EU. He expressed his belief that in this context, Bahçeli meant to say, "Instead of being an EU province, let it be a Turkish province."

In a conversation he held before the election, Cübbeli Ahmet had said that prayers should be said for Ersin Tatar and drew attention to the importance of Cyprus for Turkey's survival. Tatar stated that this support harmed him.