Erhan Erçin

Biography

Erhan Erçin graduated from European University of Lefke (LAU) in 1998 with a BA degree in the Department of International Relations. He then acquired his Masters degree at the UK’s Kent University in International Relations and European Studies. In 2008, he received his PhD degree on EU politics at the Marmara University’s Institute of European Union Studies.

He started his career in 2000, at the Economic Development Foundation (IKV), which stands as one of Turkey’s very first think tank. As a senior researcher and project manager during his tenure at İKV, Erçin was responsible for the implementation of various EU projects, and at the same time he had delivered seminars to large business circles such as TUSIAD and TOBB on EU acquis and policies. In addition, he was actively involved in a massive Communication Project funded by the European Union in Turkey with a view to supporting Turkey’s EU membership through versatile campaigns of communication, promotion and lobbying. During the same period, he published his book titled “European Union Enlargement and Turkey”.

Erçin, who attended various academic and professional training programs in different parts of the world in the field of European Union and Leadership, returned to the island in 2004, during the period when the Annan Plan negotiations in Cyprus had intensified. Erçin was then appointed as the Head of the EU Coordination Center of the Prime Ministry in the same year. Following the rejection of the plan in the referendum, he was responsible for the coordination of the implementation of the EU’s financial assistance program for Turkish Cypriots. In addition, under this program, he undertook the general coordination of the harmonisation of Turkish Cypriot legal and administrative structures with the EU acquis. As the Head of the EU Coordination Center, he advised Presidents, Prime Ministers and ministers on issues related to the EU and was instrumental in increasing the contacts of the Turkish Cypriot administration with various EU circles. During his tenure within the Center, Erçin represented the beneficiary at the Steering Committee of the EU Info Point, the main communication and PR project funded by the EU in the northern part of Cyprus.

In 2008, Erçin was appointed as the chair of the EU Affairs Working Group of UN Sponsored Intercommunal Talks. which was established as part of the negotiations between the 2nd President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias, and negotiated the aspects of the settlement pertaining to the EU. He continued to be part of the negotiation team during the tenure of the 3rd President Derviş Eroğlu.

In February 2014 Erhan Erçin was appointed as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is currently the core member of the negotiation team of the 4th President Mr. Mustafa Akıncı, upon his election in May 2015. In 2016 he was appointed as President’s Special Diplomacy Advisor and later in 2019 he became President’s Special Representative and Chief Negotiator.