When is the North Cyprus election in 2026?

On Sunday 6 December 2026. Polling stations are open from 08:00 to 18:00 local time. The parliamentary election and the local elections are held on the same day.

Why is the parliamentary election early?

The previous parliamentary election was held on 23 January 2022, so the next one was due in 2027. On 8 October 2026 the Assembly of the Republic decided (decision 118/5/2026) to hold it early, on the same day as the local elections, which were due in 2026.

How many seats are there in the Assembly?

50 seats in six districts (YSK announcement no. 8): Lefkoşa 16, Gazimağusa 12, Girne 12, İskele 5, Güzelyurt 3, Lefke 2.

When will the results be known?

Votes are counted at each polling station after 18:00. The law allows results to be published from 19:00 that evening; the Supreme Election Council (YSK) later declares the official results.

Who won the last parliamentary election?

On 23 January 2022 the UBP won the most votes and 24 of the 50 seats. The seats: UBP 24, CTP 18, DP 3, HP 3 and YDP 2. Turnout was 57.41% (YSK).

Is this the same as the election in the Republic of Cyprus?

No. This page is about Northern Cyprus (the TRNC). The Republic of Cyprus (South Cyprus) held its own election in May 2026; that is a separate election.

6 ARALIK(in Turkish)

North Cyprus election 2026

This page is about Northern Cyprus (TRNC), not the Republic of Cyprus (South Cyprus), which held its own election in May 2026.

Northern Cyprus (the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in Turkish KKTC) votes on Sunday 6 December 2026 in two elections on the same day: an early parliamentary election for the 50 seats of the Assembly of the Republic, and the local elections for the mayors and councils of all 18 municipalities and for the village and neighbourhood heads (muhtar) and their councils of elders. Polling stations are open 08:00–18:00; results may be published from 19:00.

Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Facts from the Supreme Election Council (YSK) and the election law.

Results

The law forbids news, forecasts and commentary about the election and its results until 19:00 on election day (art. 104). From 19:00 on 6 December the results of the parliamentary election and of all 18 mayoral races will be on our results page (in Turkish).

Why an early election?

The previous parliamentary election was held on 23 January 2022, and the Assembly's term is five years, so the next one was due in 2027. On 8 October 2026 the Assembly decided (decision 118/5/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 9 October 2026) to hold it early, on 6 December 2026. The local elections were due in 2026 anyway: the previous ones were held on 25 December 2022 for a four-year term.

Seats by district

The 50 members of the Assembly are elected in six districts, each with its own party lists (YSK announcement no. 8, 10 October 2026).

District	Seats	Candidates (Turkish)
Lefkoşa (Nicosia, northern part)	16	Lefkoşa lists
Gazimağusa (Famagusta)	12	Gazimağusa lists
Girne (Kyrenia)	12	Girne lists
İskele (Trikomo)	5	İskele lists
Güzelyurt (Morphou)	3	Güzelyurt lists
Lefke (Lefka)	2	Lefke lists

A party needs more than 5% of the valid votes across the country to win seats (election law, art. 133A). In the local elections the candidate with the most votes becomes mayor or muhtar (art. 135).

The 18 municipalities

Each name opens its page (in Turkish) with the mayoral candidates and the 2022 result.

Lefkoşa, Gazimağusa, Girne, Gönyeli-Alayköy, Güzelyurt, Lapta-Alsancak-Çamlıbel, İskele, Çatalköy-Esentepe, Değirmenlik-Akıncılar, Lefke, Dikmen, Mesarya, Yeniboğaziçi, Geçitkale-Serdarlı, Erenköy-Karpaz, Mehmetçik-Büyükkonuk, Beyarmudu, Tatlısu.

Key dates

Date (2026)	What happens
7 October	Start of the local election period; the election bans begin (YSK announcement no. 6).
9 October	Start of the parliamentary election period (YSK announcement no. 7).
27 October	Last day for the parties to choose their candidates.
30 October	Candidates file their applications (on this one day).
31 October	Provisional candidate lists are published.
1–7 November	Voter lists are on public display for seven days; objections until 7 November.
8 November	Candidacies become final.
9 November	Final candidate lists are published; a draw sets the order on the ballot paper.
10 November	Campaigning begins.
16 November	Polling-station voter lists are completed.
21 November	Last day on which opinion polls may be published.
3 December	Last day for delivering voter cards and leaflets.
5 December	Campaigning ends at 18:00.
6 December	Election day: polling stations open 08:00–18:00.

How voting works

Voters go to their own polling station between 08:00 and 18:00 with a TRNC identity card, police identity card, TRNC passport or TRNC driving licence (the YSK's list for the 2025 election; it will be checked here against the YSK's 2026 announcement).
Each election has its own ballot paper; all of them are handed out together (art. 101A).
Mixed voting (karma oy) across parties was abolished by the Assembly on 29 September 2026: in the parliamentary election a voter stamps one party and may then mark preferences only among that party's candidates (art. 136).
Votes are counted in public at each polling station once it closes at 18:00 (art. 119).

Step by step, in Turkish: how to vote · where to vote · election bans.

Candidates

Parties announce their candidates first; the YSK publishes the provisional lists on 31 October and the final lists on 9 November 2026. The lists (in Turkish): parliamentary candidates by district · mayoral candidates in all 18 municipalities.

Previous elections

19 October 2025, presidential election: Tufan Erhürman (CTP) was elected with 62.76% of the valid votes; turnout 64.82%.
23 January 2022, parliamentary election: seats UBP 24, CTP 18, DP 3, HP 3 and YDP 2; turnout 57.41%.
25 December 2022, local elections: the mayors of the 18 municipalities. All elections since 2018: past elections.

Questions

When is the North Cyprus election in 2026?: On Sunday 6 December 2026. Polling stations are open from 08:00 to 18:00 local time. The parliamentary election and the local elections are held on the same day.
Why is the parliamentary election early?: The previous parliamentary election was held on 23 January 2022, so the next one was due in 2027. On 8 October 2026 the Assembly of the Republic decided (decision 118/5/2026) to hold it early, on the same day as the local elections, which were due in 2026.
How many seats are there in the Assembly?: 50 seats in six districts (YSK announcement no. 8): Lefkoşa 16, Gazimağusa 12, Girne 12, İskele 5, Güzelyurt 3, Lefke 2.
When will the results be known?: Votes are counted at each polling station after 18:00. The law allows results to be published from 19:00 that evening; the Supreme Election Council (YSK) later declares the official results.
Who won the last parliamentary election?: On 23 January 2022 the UBP won the most votes and 24 of the 50 seats. The seats: UBP 24, CTP 18, DP 3, HP 3 and YDP 2. Turnout was 57.41% (YSK).
Is this the same as the election in the Republic of Cyprus?: No. This page is about Northern Cyprus (the TRNC). The Republic of Cyprus (South Cyprus) held its own election in May 2026; that is a separate election.

About this site

6 ARALIK is an independent Turkish-language election news and data site. It is not the election authority: official lists and results are published by the Supreme Election Council (Yüksek Seçim Kurulu, YSK) at ysk.gov.ct.tr. How we publish results (in Turkish).