Newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader in row with Turkey's president

Newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was entangled in an angry row with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, hours after scoring a resounding electoral victory on his promise to reunify Cyprus.

In a congratulatory message to Akinci after his election made public on Monday, Erdogan said a deal with Greek Cypriots on a solution to the Cyprus problem should not be adopted at any cost.

The warning was Erdogan's comment on a statement by Akinci that he had been called upon by the voters to tentatively work for a solution reuniting Cyprus in a federal state.

Akinci and Ergogan later had a telephone conversation, with each one insisting on his positions.

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.

Analysts said Erdogan's warnings to Akinci is a stark reminder of additional difficulties the Greek and Turkish Cypriots will face in trying to end the rift that has kept them apart for over 40 years. Endit