EU wants ‘constructive' talks with N.Cyprus’ new leader

ANKARA

The European Union wants to see constructive engagement with Turkish Cypriots and their newly elected president, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Tuesday.

“The Turkish Cypriot community selected Mr. Ersin Tatar as its new leader. It is important now to see a constructive engagement with a view to reaching a comprehensive settlement and reunification,” foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said in a joint statement.

It added that the EU supports the resumption of negotiations under UN auspices while remaining fully committed to a “comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.”

“The EU stands ready to play an active role in supporting these negotiations. A stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and the development of cooperative and mutually beneficial relationships amongst all partners in the region, bilaterally and multilaterally, is in the EU’s strategic interest,” the statement added.

Prime Minister Ersin Tatar won Sunday's presidential runoff in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with 51.74% of the votes, beating incumbent Mustafa Akinci’s 48.26%.

Tatar is Northern Cyprus’ fifth president, and is set to serve a five-year term.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in 1983.