Ankara not Keen on Early Elections in Cyprus

Talat said that the elections could be held some time in mid-January.

In response to the news from the TRNC, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, "early elections should not be considered for the time being".

Gul said that Ankara encouraged all sides to form the most broad-based coalition government under the current situation. TRNC President, Rauf Denktas, urged the political parties involved put the general elections behind them and get on with business as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Cyprus Plan, a proposed solution piloted by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, will be completed by the weekend. The party hopes the plan will be implemented before May 4, 2004. The proposal will be discussed and voted at next week’s cabinet meeting.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Eroglu reiterated his desire to create a new coalition government. Eroglu said that the National Union Party (UBP) and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) differed on certain issues and that a mutual agreement could not be reached. He said he got the impression that the CTP did not regard a UBP-CTP coalition government to be a positive development. However, when the President calls for the formation new government, the two parties would meet to re-discuss a power-sharing deal, said Eroglu.