Roundup: Cypriot gov't welcomes new Turkish Cypriot leader

Cypriot government on Monday hailed the election of a moderate Turkish Cypriot leader in a vote in the northern part of Cyprus, saying it was ready for meaningful and productive negotiations to end the eastern Mediterranean island's division.

Mustafa Akinci, an independent candidate, scored a runaway victory in Sunday's election with an unprecedented 60.5 percent of the vote, driving out of office his opponent, right-wing nationalist hardliner Dervis Eroglu.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said that Akinci's electoral victory opens up prospects for cooperation, peace and tranquility.

"At last, our hopes are high that this country can be reunified in a modern state governed by European Union principles," he said.

Cyprus was split in Greek and Turkish regions when Turkey occupied the island's northern part in 1974, reacting to a coup engineered by Greek army officers.

Akinci, a former mayor of the Turkish part of Nicosia, had maintained close relations with Greek Cypriots even when communication between the northern part of Cyprus and the government controlled area were completely separated by a confrontation line running for about 180 km.

Anastasiades stressed that despite Akinci's emergence as a community leader, Turkey still holds the key to a solution in Cyprus as it keeps about 40,000 troops in the northern part of Cyprus.

Anastasiades hoped for cooperation to bring back prosperity for all Cypriots.

"We have our hands outstretched for them to accept it and cooperate with us for a solution," Anastasiades said.

His spokesman said Anastasiades and Akinci, both come from the southern port city of Limassol, will talk again soon and will probably meet this week to discuss resuming peace negotiations.

He added the leaders would discuss implementing confidence-building measures as well.

Peace negotiations were suspended last October, over a notice to sailors by Turkey and the dispatch of a Turkish navy flotilla and a seismographic ship to search for natural gas off the southern shores of the island.

The UN said in a statement issued Monday that the UN Secretary General's special advisor on Cyprus, former Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, will be back on the island between May 4 and 8 to prepare the resumption of negotiations.

Eide said he had spoken with Akinci and added that he was looking forward to the resumptions of the negotiations soon.

The UN has been brokering negotiations for the reunification of Cyprus for over 40 years. Endit