Turkish Cypriots vote in poll that could speed peace talks

Nicosia: Voters in the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus went to the polls on Sunday to choose a new leader in an election runoff that could speed UN-brokered reunification talks.

Polls opened shortly after 8 am (0500 GMT) and were to close at 6 pm (1500 GMT).

Nationalist incumbent Dervis Eroglu won the most votes in a first round last weekend but is expected to be trumped by reconciliationist challenger Mustafa Akinci after some three-quarters of the votes went to more compromising candidates in the first round last weekend.

Akinci is a former mayor of the Turkish Cypriot half of the island`s divided capital Nicosia and has been one of his community`s most outspoken advocates of reconciliation with the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government.

A UN-monitored ceasefire line has divided the Mediterranean resort island since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

The Turkish Cypriots, who had already pulled out of government institutions amid communal violence in 1963, declared their breakaway state in 1983 but it is recognised only by Turkey.

The United Nations has put forward multiple peace plans but they have all failed, notably a plan by then UN chief Kofi Annan that was approved by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots in simultaneous votes in 2004.

UN-sponsored peace talks are set to resume after Sunday`s election following a Greek Cypriot decision to end a six-month boycott.

The Cyprus government had been protesting moves by Turkey to explore possible offshore oil and gas reserves amid Greek Cypriot party political divisions over austerity moves demanded by the deeply indebted island`s international creditors.

Both Turkey and the United States voiced hope last week that 2015 could finally be the year that Cyprus is reunited after the long decades of division.