A poll conducted by Noverna records how Greek Cypriots assess the new Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, both in terms of his overall image and in comparison with his predecessor, Ersin Tatar, regarding the sincerity of his intentions to resolve the Cyprus problem. The findings show that Greek Cypriot public opinion remains largely cautious, although more positive assessments do appear among certain political audiences.
The poll was carried out in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections in May. Its main findings will be published in the Sunday and Monday editions of Politis. A total of 1,020 people took part in the survey, which was conducted between 26 February and 11 March 2026.
Predominantly Negative
Overall, sentiments towards Erhürman are mostly negative. Forty-one per cent of Greek Cypriots say they have negative feelings towards him, while only 17% express a positive view. A significant share, 26%, report a neutral stance, while 16% say they do not know or decline to answer.
This picture suggests that, despite the change of leadership in the Turkish Cypriot community, a strong climate of trust has not yet developed on the Greek Cypriot side. This is also linked to the fact that there has been no development or progress in the Cyprus issue.
The picture changes noticeably when attitudes are examined according to voters’ party preference. AKEL voters appear the most positive towards Erhürman, with 32% expressing positive feelings and 25% negative ones, while an equally high proportion (32%) remain neutral.
By contrast, the negative perception is far stronger among other political groups. Among DISY voters, negative feelings reach 52%, while among DIKO voters the figure stands at 55%. The negative stance is even stronger among ELAM voters, where negative feelings reach 67%. High levels of negative assessments are also recorded among voters of EDEK and DEPA.
At the same time, the poll examined whether Greek Cypriots consider Erhürman to be more sincere, less sincere, or equally sincere compared with Ersin Tatar regarding intentions to reach a compromise solution to the Cyprus problem.
The dominant response is that he is “the same”, at 56%. A further 24% believe Erhürman is more sincere, while only 6% think he is less sincere. Fourteen per cent say they have no opinion.
Significant differences are also recorded across political camps on this question. AKEL voters appear more positive, with 43% believing that Erhürman is more sincere than Tatar. By contrast, among voters of other parties the prevailing view is that the two leaders are essentially the same in terms of their intentions. Among ELAM voters, for example, 79% believe there is no difference between the two.
Overall, the findings indicate that the change of leadership in the Turkish Cypriot community has not yet substantially altered the image Greek Cypriots hold of the other side. The prevailing attitude remains largely cautious, although there are notable variations depending on respondents’ political background.
Read tomorrow the major Noverna poll on the parliamentary elections
-
Which party is in the lead?
-
Which parties have gained and which have lost support?
-
What is the level of party voter consolidation?
-
Will six or seven parties enter Parliament?
Survey
CONDUCTED BY: NOVERNA Analytics & Research, member of SEDEAK and ESOMAR, on behalf of the newspaper Politis
SAMPLE & METHODOLOGY: 1,020 interviews with a representative sample of the voting population in the government-controlled areas, eligible to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections, using random sampling
INTERVIEW METHOD: Structured questionnaire with telephone interviews via CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing)
WEIGHTING: The sample was weighted based on the demographic profile of the electorate
MAXIMUM MARGIN OF STATISTICAL ERROR: ±2.7% at a 95% confidence level
FIELDWORK DATES: 26 February – 11 March 2026