Results of parliamentary elections held last weekend in Northern Cyprus -a State which is only recognized by Turkey- will surely open a new phase as regards reunification of the Greek and the Turkish halves of the island. The National Unity Party (UBP), which gained the majority of seats securing 44% of the vote, supports the divide of two independent states rather than the establishment of a federal country composed of two federated states. The latter is the final arrangement endorsed by the current Greek Cypriot counterpart, President Demetris Christofias, and president of Turkish Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat.

UBP leader, Dervis Eroglu, has declared that the party will support ongoing negotiations, and announced he is to appoint a delegate who is to join Mehmet Ali Talat, whose term is finishing in 2010, at the talks with the Greek Cypriot delegation and the UN special envoy. One of the priorities of the winning party is the international recognition of the country, as only Turkey, or the so-called "mother land", acknowledges the existence of Northern Cyprus.

President Talat's political party, the Turkish Republican Party (CTP), has obtained the 30% of the overall votes, which is a significant decrease from previous elections. Turkish and Greek Cypriot media hold that the decline is possibly due to the present economic climate and the lack of progress in the negotiations with the Greek counterpart. According to Bianet, Talat has warned that if the new government does not back his approach, there will be "clashes of authority". Today's Zaman has quoted President Demetris Christofias as saying that a UBP victory "would make the talks difficult".

The reunification process of the island -divided since 1974- was boosted in February 2008 with the election of Demetris Christofias as the head of the Greek Cypriot government. Both Christofias and Talat commenced a round of talks sponsored by the UN in order to seek a federal settlement to the conflict. The process has been slower than expected, as there have been disagreements regarding sensitive issues such as land property and the presence of the Turkish military.

Further information:

• Hürriyet: Nationalists sweep votes in general elections in Turkish Cyprus
• BBC: Hardliners win N Cyprus election
• Nationalia:Turkish Cypriots say reunification could happen as early as 'late 2008 or mid 2009', Turkish Cypriot president announces peace negotiations to end conflict on Cyprus.