Hardline leader to continue Cyprus peace talks
New Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu vowed to continue peace talks amid fears his victory could halt reunification negotiations with the Greek side and scupper Turkey’s bid for European Union membership.
Hardliner Mr Eroglu won just enough votes for an outright leadership election victory yesterday with 50.38% compared with left-wing incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat’s 42.85%. Candidates needed 50% plus one vote to avoid a run-off.
It was a much closer race than expected, as opinion polls had consistently predicted Mr Eroglu to win by a wide margin.
Mr Eroglu assured supporters who rushed to his party headquarters in the northern Turkish Cypriot half of the island’s divided capital Nicosia that he would not abandon negotiations aimed at reunifying the island.
“It’s time to find peace,” he said. “No-one should expect me to leave the negotiating table.
“We will be at the negotiating table for an agreement that will continue the existence of our people in this land with honour.”
Mr Talat said he remained determined to “help and support” a peace deal.
The island’s division is already hampering Turkey’s EU drive and could halt it if peace talks collapse. Since Turkey is a Nato member such a move also could cripple closer co-operation between the military alliance and the EU and increase regional instability.
Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told state-run CyBC TV that the election outcome was a “negative development”, but that Greek Cypriot president Dimitris Christofias would press on with negotiations.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Turkish Cypriots declared the independent republic in 1983, but only Turkey recognises it and maintains 35,000 troops there.
Divided Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, with only the internationally-recognised south’s 800,000 Greek Cypriots enjoying membership benefits. The island’s division is already blocking parts of Turkey’s EU membership negotiation process because of Ankara’s refusal to recognise the Greek Cypriot government.
Mr Eroglu’s resurgence was mainly due to public disillusionment with Mr Talat, whom many Turkish Cypriots blame for not delivering on a promise of a swift deal after opening negotiations with Mr Christofias 19 months ago.
Although Mr Eroglu insists he would continue peace talks, he is at odds with an agreement between Mr Talat and Mr Christofias envisaging a future partnership under a federal roof.
Mr Eroglu insists on separate sovereignty for the breakaway north, something that Mr Christofias has warned he would not accept.
But Mr Eroglu’s assurances that peace talks would continue did not assure Talat supporters.
“This is the end of the peace process, if ... he will not accept single sovereignty and he will not accept anything apart from a two-state solution,” said Izzet Izcan, head of the small, left-wing United Cyprus Party.
The Turkish government has been careful not to take sides in the election and has said that peace talks must continue regardless of the winner.
“Whoever is president there, he has to continue with the determination (for talks),” Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
