Center-Left Candidate Wins Turkish Cypriot Presidential Vote

The center-left presidential candidate Mustafa Akinci from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), secured electoral victory following the country’s presidential election runoff on Sunday. 

Akinci, 67, beat incumbent Dervis Eroglu receiving 60.3 percent of the votes, according to figures provided by the election commission. 

Acknowledging defeat, Eroglu congratulated Akinci and wished him success in his new position.

"I ran again in the belief that I can bring peace talks to a conclusion," Eroglu said.

According to official figures 64 percent of eligible voters cast their vote went to the polls to choose a new leader in an election runoff that could expedite U.N.-brokered reunification talks.

Cyprus was split in 1974 after Turkey had invaded Northern Cyprus in 1974 following a military coup in Cyprus backed by the Greek government. 

Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and maintains more than 30,000 troops in the north.

Its division is an ongoing source of tension between Greece and Turkey as well as relations with the European Union.

A United Nations proposal that would have incorporated the two sides under a single federal state has been stalled due to a lack of popular and political support from both sides. 

A recent public poll indicated that 65 percent of Greek Cypriots and 69 percent of Turkish Cypriots lack hope about a prospective successful resolution. 

However, as part of his electoral campaign platform Akinci pledged to reach a peace deal on Cyprus after negotiations were suspended last October, when Greek Cypriots walked out of the process in a row over Turkish rights to explore for natural gas off Northern Cyprus.