He served in different ministerial positions, including a five-year tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense between 1998 and 2004.

From 31 December 1998 to 16 January 2004, he served as the Turkish Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

[3] On 15 March 2010,[3] he was expelled from the UBP due to his candidacy in the presidential election against the party's leader, Derviş Eroğlu.

In 2014, he created controversy by calling Özdil Nami, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "a child".

[10] In a controversial decision, Ertuğruloğlu on 20 May 2016 restricted Greek Orthodox communities to only hold a single religious service per year, with the exceptions of the Apostolos Andreas Monastery in Rizokarpaso, the Monastery of St. Barnabas in Famagusta and St. Mamas' Church in Morphou.

[11] During the buildup to the Annan Plan for Cyprus referendum in 2004, Ertuğruloğlu was criticised as a "radical nationalist".