LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
The incumbent President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dervis Eroglu, and independent candidate Mustafa Akinci have gained the most votes in the first round of the presidential elections.
However, neither candidate reached the required 50 percent of votes, officials said on Monday, and a second round will be held between the two candidates on April 26.
The Supreme Election Committee announced 110,303 people out of more than 176,000 eligible voters had cast their votes in 693 ballots throughout the country on Sunday.
According to the results of the first round, incumbent president Eroglu, who is supported by the National Unity Party and Democratic Party-National Forces, led with 28.15 percent votes.
He was followed by Akinci, with 26.94 percent votes; Republican Turkish Party-United Forces candidate and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Parliament Speaker Sibel Siber was next with 22.53 percent votes; and Independent Turkish Cypriot negotiator Kudret Ozersay got 21.25 percent votes.
Republican Turkish Party-United Forces party and TRNC Prime Minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu announced they would support Mustafa Akinci’s candidacy after the poll results came in.
The candidate who gets the most votes in the second round will be declared the country's next president.
