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Turkey says northern Cyprus elections show democratic maturity
www.chinaview.cn 2005-02-22 00:11:00
††††ANKARA, Feb. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Turkish Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said Monday elections in northern Cyprus showed democratic maturity.

††††Following a cabinet meeting, Cicek said elections in the Turkish Cypriot community were in line with democratic rules and the people of the community displayed their free will in the elections." The elections proved that there is a democratic and political mechanism working in northern Cyprus," Cicek said. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat claimed victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections.

††††Talat's ruling Republican Turkish Party (RTP) won 44.45 percent of the vote, and the major opposition National Unity Party (NUP)led by former prime minister Dervis Eroglu gained 31.71 percent, official results showed early Monday.

††††With Sunday's win, the RTP will garner 25 seats in the 50-seatparliament, but one short of a majority needed to form a single-party government.

††††"This is an important success," Talat told reporters late Sunday, but admitted "we are on the verge of another coalition." Talat, who strongly supports a UN plan to reunify Cyprus, immediately called on the Greek Cypriots to work with him toward reconciliation.

††††Talat's junior coalition partner, the center-right Democrat Party (DP), got about 13 percent of the vote, while the Peace and Democracy Party, which is also close to Talat, got 5.7 percent. The remaining three parties contesting in the elections failed to gain the 5 percent threshold required to win seats in the parliament.

††††Voter turnout was about 80 percent, according to the electoral authorities.

††††The Turkish Cypriot authorities were forced to call an early election after Talat's two-party coalition lost its slim parliamentary majority last May, shortly after a UN reunification plan was rejected in a referendum by the Greek Cypriot community. Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly supported the UN plan. Cyprus has been divided into the Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north since 1974.

††††The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey, which maintains some 30,000 troops there. Enditem