Northern Cyprus election board rejects Serdar Denktaş's gender quota claims

Northern Cyprus's Supreme Election Council (YSK) has rejected claims by TAM Party leader Serdar Denktaş that it was not impartial, calling them "completely baseless and unfounded." It also said his claims that the party's candidate applications breached the gender quota were untrue.

The council said parties submitted candidate lists for the 6 December 2026 early parliamentary election on 30 October 2026, and the lists were published in its Announcement No. 15. It noted that it had excluded the Toplumsal Adalet ve Mücadele Partisi's list for the Lapta-Alsancak-Çamlıbel municipal council in Girne district for failing the at least 30 percent different-gender rule under Political Parties Law No. 49/2015.

With 14 council candidates, 30 percent is 4.2, so at least five must be of a different gender, and four would fall below the quota, the council said. It stated that it had treated all parties and candidates equally and applied the legal rules. The statement responded to Denktaş's press conference of 1 November 2026.