Strong reactions to Northern Cyprus election

There have been celebrations among Turkish Cypriot nationalists after they won a decisive election victory in Northern Cyprus that could hamper peace talks with Greek Cypriots, the BBC said.

Turkish media reported on April 20 2009 that the opposition National Unity Party (UBP) had won the parliamentary elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an entity recognised only by Turkey, held on April 19.

The chairman of the UBP, Dervis Eroglu, will become prime minister again after a period of five years. Many analysts predict that, with UBP's decisive victory, unification of the two sides in Cyprus could become tougher to achieve.

The Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Ankara, are divided by a green line, which crosses the capital city Nicosia as well.

Bulgarian news agency Focus, quoting the Turkish Cypriot Haber Havadis news website, said that when the first results of parliamentary elections in Northern Cyprus were announced, supporters of the UBP gathered to celebrate the election win amid drums and whistles in Ataturk square in Nicosia.

In a victory speech, Eroglu said that the party had been given a heavy responsibility but it had experience in the country’s governance.

"I am proud that Turkey is our main native country. Thanks to our native country we are living calm and safe," Eroglu said.

Focus quoted Greece’s ANA-MPA agency as reporting that "despair has gripped the Republic of Cyprus" after the election results were announced.

The political parties in Cyprus and Cypriot archbishop Chrysostomos described the victory by Eroglu’s party as a negative development for the efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue.

The chief secretary of the Progressive Party of Working People Andros Kyprianou said:
"We would like to make it clear that everything agreed with Mehmet Ali Talat so far cannot be subject to renegotiations."

The press secretary of the Democratic Party Fotis Fotiou said that the elections in the occupied part of the island had once again confirmed Turkey’s essential and regulatory role in Northern Cyprus and that the key to the solution of the Cyprus issue was in Ankara alone.

Chairman of the Movement of Social Democracy (EDEK) Yiannakis Omirou said that the victory by Eroglu’s party would see Turkey taking a firmer stance in discussions about the future of Cyprus.

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