Northern Cyprus opposition party wins elections

April 21, 2009

The Turkish Cypriot's right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), has won the republic's elections on Sunday in a landslide, according to provisional results released by officials. With all votes having been counted, the UBP won 44.06% of all votes, garnering it a majority in Northern Cyprus' 50-seat parliament by provisional accounts.

Incumbent Republican Turkish Party (CTP), an ally of the Turkish Cypriot's leader Mehmet Ali Talat, received the second most votes, taking 29% of the ballot.

Election authorities estimated that voter turnout at the polls was about 81.3%. Around 162,000 people were eligible to vote.

The Turkish Cypriot government is only officially recognized by Turkey. Cyprus has been divided for 35 years after Turkey invaded the island in 1974, following a coup by a group of people supporting reunification with Greece.