CMIRS: 85.6% Say Things Are Going Wrong in North Cyprus

The economy emerged as the most important problem, while transportation and infrastructure, economic management and healthcare management were the areas generating the highest levels of dissatisfaction.

The September 2026 survey by CMIRS provides data on the economic situation, trust in institutions, public administration, key problems facing the country and public expectations for the future.

Conducted face-to-face with 500 people in September 2026, the survey is part of CMIRS’s regular quarterly research. The study measures Turkish Cypriots’ political trust, social trust, individual self-confidence and perceptions of happiness, while also examining how these indicators relate to one another over time and how they are affected by developments. The findings are due to be published in three parts.

85.6% BELIEVE THINGS ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

According to CMIRS Coordinator Mine Yücel’s assessment of the findings, 85.6% of respondents in September 2026 believed that things were going in the wrong direction in the country.

Yücel said that, when the long-term trend is considered, the perception that things are moving in the wrong direction has shown continuity rather than being merely a temporary fluctuation. She noted that the perception declined in 2024 after reaching very high levels in 2022-2023, but began rising again toward the end of 2025 and during the first half of 2026.

Yücel said that although the September 2026 survey recorded a notable decline in the proportion of people who believed that things were going in the wrong direction, the fact that only 14.4% believed things were moving in the right direction showed that the overall expectations climate remained distinctly negative.

She therefore said the change would be better interpreted not as a “return of satisfaction,” but as a “reduction in the intensity of negative perceptions.”

Yücel added that, when the composition of those who believed things were moving in the right direction was examined, the increase was particularly visible among those considering voting for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP). According to the survey, 14.4% of respondents in September 2026 believed that things were going in the right direction.

ECONOMY SEEN AS COUNTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM

According to respondents, the country’s most important problems were ranked as economic problems, the Cyprus Problem, the healthcare system, infrastructure (the electricity problem), “incompetent” political leaders, and rising prices/inflation.

The survey found that economic problems continued to stand out as the most important issue facing society. The Cyprus Problem retained its second-place position, while the healthcare system rose to third place during this period.

The continued prominence of political leaders described as “incompetent” among the country’s major problems was cited as an indication of problems with governance.

According to the survey, the continued perception of economic problems, the Cyprus Problem and governance as among the country’s biggest challenges indicates that expectations for the future depend not only on improvements in economic conditions, but also on changes in the political and administrative spheres.

The study noted that society’s concerns about the future were not limited to the cost of living and economic uncertainty. The way the country is governed, the capacity of public institutions to solve problems, and uncertainty over the future of the Cyprus Problem were also found to shape perceptions of the future.

It said that even an improvement in economic conditions may not completely change society’s overall outlook on the future unless the distrust surrounding governance and the political future is also addressed.

IF ONLY ONE PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED, WHICH WOULD BE THE TOP THREE?

Respondents were also asked which problem should be given priority if only one problem in the country could be solved.

The top three were the cost of living, infrastructure and the Cyprus Problem.

Priority Problems to Be Solved:

1. Cost of living
2. Infrastructure
3. Cyprus Problem

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE ECONOMIC FUTURE

According to the survey, 58.71% of respondents believe their own financial situation will be worse within two years.

While 32.06% said their financial situation would remain unchanged over the next two years, only 9.22% expected it to improve.

Expectations for Personal Financial Situation:

1. Will get worse — 58.71%
2. Will remain the same — 32.06%
3. Will get better — 9.22%

A similar picture emerged regarding expectations for the country’s economy. Some 64.33% of respondents believe the country’s economy will be worse within two years.

While 27.25% said the country’s economy would remain unchanged, only 8.41% believed it would improve over the next two years.

Expectations for the Country’s Economy:

1. Will get worse — 64.33%
2. Will remain the same — 27.25%
3. Will get better — 8.41%

POLICE, JUDICIARY AND PRESIDENCY TOP INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

According to CMIRS’s September 2026 survey, the institutions enjoying the highest levels of public trust were the police, judiciary and Presidency.

The institutions receiving the lowest levels of trust were the government, Parliament, political parties and financial institutions.

SEPTEMBER 2026 INSTITUTIONAL TRUST DATA: POLICE AND JUDICIARY TOP SATISFACTION

The survey also included data on satisfaction with institutions.

According to the September 2026 findings, the institutions with the highest levels of satisfaction were the police and judiciary, followed by the Presidency and the Ombudsman. The government, Parliament and financial institutions received the lowest satisfaction ratings.

LOW SATISFACTION WITH COUNTRY’S GOVERNANCE

According to the survey, 17.48% of respondents said they were satisfied with the functioning of democracy in the country, while 58.64% said they were dissatisfied.

Only 12.65% were satisfied with environmental protection, compared with 70.28% who were dissatisfied.

Regarding the independence of the judiciary from political influence, 18.07% expressed satisfaction, while 55.62% were dissatisfied.

On the government’s efforts to combat corruption, 11.44% said they were satisfied, while 65.46% were dissatisfied.

In terms of population control/planning, 70.88% were dissatisfied, while only 8.84% expressed satisfaction.

While 14.66% said they were satisfied with traffic management, 66.66% were dissatisfied.

Only 6.02% expressed satisfaction with economic management, while 81.12% were dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with healthcare management stood at 5.82%, while 80.72% said they were dissatisfied.

Regarding education, 13.45% were satisfied and 61.85% were dissatisfied.

Only 3.21% expressed satisfaction with transportation and infrastructure, while 86.95% said they were dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with public services stood at 5.22%, compared with 72.29% who were dissatisfied.

Some 8.03% said they were satisfied with social policies/social support, while 53.61% were dissatisfied.

Regarding negotiations on the Cyprus Problem, 14.85% expressed satisfaction, while 50.6% were dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with security stood at 23.30%, while 50% said they were dissatisfied.

AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF DISSATISFACTION

In the concluding section of the survey, the areas with which respondents were dissatisfied were listed along with their respective rates.

According to the ranking in the survey’s results section, transportation and infrastructure ranked first with 86.95% dissatisfaction, followed by economic management at 81.12% and healthcare management at 80.72%.