Hardliner ahead in Turkish Cyprus election

Istanbul - Early results from Sunday's presidential elections in Northern Cyprus give Dervis Eroglu, a hardliner who has expressed his skepticism about the divided island's ongoing peace talks, a lead in the polls, according to officials.

According to partial results issued by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus's election committee, after 48 percent of the votes have been counted, Eroglu has 49.6 percent of the vote, compared to 43.1 percent for the incumbent, Mehmet Ali Talat.

A run-off is required if not candidate receives over 50 percent.

Eroglu, leader of the National Unity Party (UBP), has stated that if elected, he would revisit the ongoing reunification talks being conducted by Talat.

Talat, leader of the left-leaning Republican Turkish Party (CTP), supports reunification of the island, which has been split into Greek and Turkish sides since 1974. Eroglu has said he would like to see a two-state confederation.

Turkey's troubled EU-membership drive is inextricably tied up in the Cyprus problem.

The Greek-speaking south of the island joined the bloc in 2004, and has since used its position in Brussels to frequently stymie Ankara's EU bid.

Turkey, meanwhile, is using its NATO membership to retaliate, blocking enhanced cooperation between the EU and the defense alliance in protest of what it sees as Brussels' being held captive to the Cypriot agenda.

EU officials are also pressuring Turkey to open up its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels, something Ankara has so far resisted doing.

Some 164,000 Turkish Cypriots were eligible to vote. Observers say much of Eroglu's popularity can be attributed to Turkish Cypriots' sense of being betrayed by the international community after they voted in favor of a 2004 United Nations plan to reunite the island. The Greek Cypriots then rejected the plan.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319341,hardliner-ahead-in-turkish-cyprus-election.html.