UPDATE - Turkish Cypriot premier leads presidential race

UPDATES WITH RECENT VOTE COUNT

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

LEFKOSA, The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - Premier Ersin Tatar is leading the presidential race in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), according to initial results.

With 53.17% of ballot boxes opened so far, Tatar has secured 32.46% of the votes, the Bayrak Radio Television Corporation reported, citing unofficial data by the election authority.

President Mustafa Akinci, an independent candidate, is the runner-up with 29.57% of the votes, while Tufan Erhurman, the head of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party, is trailing behind him with 21.68%.

Another independent candidate, Kudret Ozersay, the deputy prime minister and the foreign minister, got 5.73% of the votes counted, while Erhan Arikli, the leader of the Rebirth Party, has secured 5.37%.

Democrat Party’s Lefkosa deputy Serdar Denktas has received 4.37% of the votes.

Electorates also voted in the referendum for the constitutional amendment to increase the number of high court judges.

While 49.67% of the voters were in favor of the amendment, 50.33% of them voted against it, according to the votes counted so far.

Eleven candidates competed in the election, with seven of them running independent.

As many as 198,867 registered voters were eligible to vote in 738 ballot boxes.

The Supreme Election Committee is expected to announce the results by 10 p.m. (1900 GMT).

The island of Cyprus has been divided into a Turkish Cypriot government in the north, and the Greek Cypriot administration in the south since a 1974 military coup aimed at Cyprus’ annexation by Greece.

Turkey’s military intervention stopped years-long persecution and violence against Turkish Cypriots by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots.