The former premier of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dervish Eroglu, has defeated the incumbent, Mehmet Ali Talat, in presidential polls, winning 50.3% of the vote, according to preliminary figures, reports Turkish media.
Eroglu favors a tough stance in talks on Cyprus’s conflict settlement, while Talat stands for the reunion of the Greek and Turkish parts of the island.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish armed forces occupied the northern part of the island after a failed coup.
The Cyprus problem is one of the obstacles facing Turkey in its bid to join the EU. Turkey refused to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU, until the resolution of the Northern Cyprus problem
