(MENAFN) Polling opened Sunday at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) across 777 stations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), marking the start of the first round of the crucial presidential election. Voting will continue until 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) as 218,313 eligible voters head to the polls.

Incumbent President Ersin Tatar, running as an independent, faces a competitive field including Tufan Erhurman, leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP), who is contesting as his party’s candidate. Additional contenders include independents Mehmet Hasguler, Arif Salih Kirdag, Ahmet Boran, Ibrahim Yazici, and Osman Zorba representing the Cyprus Socialist Party.

In a significant development ahead of the vote, candidate Huseyin Gurlek, whose name remains on the ballot, announced Saturday his withdrawal in support of Ersin Tatar.

The election system requires a candidate to secure over 50% of the vote to win outright in the first round. Failing that, the two candidates with the highest vote counts will advance to a runoff scheduled within seven days. The eventual winner in the second round will assume the presidency.

This election represents a pivotal moment for the TRNC’s political landscape, as voters decide their next leader under an intense spotlight.

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