TRNC poll winner expects Cyprus talks to resume next month

Dervis Eroglu, who defeated incumbent Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat in Sunday's election, said yesterday he expects negotiations with Greek Cyprus on reunification of the island to resume next month. Eroglu, who pledged to continue the talks after winning the election in the first round with 50.4 percent of the vote, said that the talks may pick up where they left off. Dismissing concerns that he would abandon the negotiations as "unfounded," Eroglu said the Cyprus dispute can't be left unresolved forever. "The negotiations will continue. Whether the Greek Cypriots are happy with the [election] results doesn't concern us," he told a televised interview. "It's time to find peace," he told a crowd of supporters after poll results showed he was the winner. "No one should expect me to leave the negotiating table," he added. "We will be at the negotiating table for an agreement that will continue the existence of our people in this land with honor." Eroglu, a longtime politician who currently serves as prime minister, has opposed the principle of single sovereignty in a new Cypriot state that would emerge from the talks between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, insisting on equal sovereign rights for the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots say this is a non-starter. In Ankara, President Abdullah Gul congratulated Eroglu on his win and said he hoped the negotiations would produce a fair and lasting solution. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara would continue to support the negotiations irrespective of who is TRNC president. "We believe the current policies will be maintained in the Eroglu era as well," he told reporters. "The negotiations will continue. The international community should have no concerns about that." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara wants a solution to the Cyprus issue by year's-end. "The Turkish Cypriots must continue the talks, which is something Eroglu also believes. It is our aim to find a solution by the end of the year," Erdogan said in televised remarks. The Foreign Ministry was also confident Eroglu would continue the talks. "As a leader with deep experience in state affairs, we commend Mr. Eroglu's resolve to continue the talks from where they left off," it said in a statement. "A solution will be reached soon as long as the Greek Cypriots also make the necessary contributions to the process." The ministry also praised the outgoing Talat's leadership and vision: "Talat's dynamism, constructive attitude and sincerity have brought Cyprus negotiations to a fruitful level."