Opposition candidate Tufan Erhürman won Northern Cyprus’s presidential election with 62.76% of the vote, defeating incumbent Ersin Tatar, whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan backed.

Erhürman said “the Turkish Cypriot people have all won,” while pledging to maintain coordination with Turkey on foreign policy.

Erdoğan congratulated the winner, vowing Ankara’s continued defense of Turkish Cypriot rights internationally.