The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, only acknowledged by Turkey, has elected nationalist Dervis Ergolu as its new president.
The election result seems to show a lack of faith in the peace talks and re-unification process in Cyprus between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
With a little over 50 percent of the votes, Ergolu takes over the presidency from the moderate Mehmet Ali Talat. According to Turkish media, some analysts say the biggest reason for Talat’s defeat was the unfulfilled promises made by the EU in 2004 to open direct trade links with the north.
After the Turkish invasion of the northern part of Cyprus, the island with 800,000 inhabitants has been split in two. During the last two years, under the moderation of U.N.’s Talat, talks have taken place with the Greek Cypriot President Christofias behind closed doors about ending the conflict. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said “with conviction” peace talks would continue.
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