Updated on
Summary
Hard-line challenger Dervis Eroglu won a key Turkish Cypriot leadership election, vowing to continue peace talks amid fears his victory could grind reunification negotiations with the Greek Cypriots to a halt and scuttle Turkey's bid for European Union membership. Eroglu won just enough votes for an outright victory, with 50.38 percent, compared to leftist incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat's 42.85 percent. Candidates needed 50 percent plus one vote to avoid a runoff. Eroglu assured supporters who rushed to his party headquarters in the northern, Turkish Cypriot half of the islands divided capital, that he would not abandon negotiations aimed at reunifying the divided island. 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 cooperation between the military alliance and the EU, and increase regional instability.
