Turkish Cypriots vote for president

A woman casts her ballot during the presidential elections in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, at a polling station in the northern part of Nicosia yesterday.

DPANicosiaTurkish Cypriots voted yesterday in presidential election for northern Cyprus ahead of the resumption next month of peace talks that could reunite the divided island.About 177,000 people are entitled to vote in northern Cyprus, which announced independence in 1983, but has since then only won recognition from Turkey.Polls opened at 8am (0500 GMT) and were set to close at 6pm.Unofficial results are expected to come in after 10pm.Participation as of 5pm was estimated at about 54% by national broadcaster BRT.Incumbent President Dervis Eroglu, a conservative, has an edge over his six rivals, opinion polls have shown.Nonetheless, he is not predicted to get more than 50%.The two main challengers are the speaker of Parliament, Sibel Siber, and Mustafa Acinci, the former mayor of Turkish Nicosia.According to polls, a run-off will need to be held next week between the two candidates with the most votes.The next president will appoint a chief negotiator to lead frozen UN-sponsored peace talks to reunify the Turkish north with the Greek south of the island.Northern Cypriot Foreign Minister Ozil Nami has said he expects the talks to resume in May.Cyprus pulled out of the talks in October after Turkey said it planned to explore for gas and oil off the island’s southern coast.The island has been divided since 1974, after Turkey invaded the north in response to a Greek-led coup seeking a union with Athens.Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but this only applies to the southern area.The north remains dependent on Ankara.