Cypriot Turks Vote for Solution

The TRNC went to the polls after a 14 month break. Talat’s pro-solution CTP increased its voter turnout rate by ten points. The Democrat Party DP), under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas, received 13.5 percent in the elections which included a total of seven parties.

Mustafa Akinci’s Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) passed the national threshold with 5.8 percent and Dervis Eroglu’s National United Party (UBP) won 31.7 percent of votes. According to these results, the CTP has 25 seats in the Republic’s parliament, the UBP has 18, the DP has six, and the BDH has one. Since none of the parties managed to win 26 seats, a coalition government will administer the TRNC. It is expected that the partnership between Talat and Denktas Jr. will continue. Prime Minister Talat said that talks on a coalition will begin today.

At a news conference after the results were announced, Talat emphasized that Turkish Cypriots have not changed their vision or opinion since the April 24th referendum on the Annan Plan. Talat said, "I assume that the world will listen more carefully to our statements about the determination of the Turkish Cypriots."

The elections are the first step in a fundamental power shift, said the CTP leader, and trying to connect the general elections to the presidential elections has been a mistake.

Serdar Denktas also said he has accepted the politics of the government with the support of the public.