Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent a clear message to a nationalist party that won the parliamentary elections held on Sunday in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), saying he expects backing for reunification talks with the Greek Cypriots. President Abdullah Gül has also said Turkey strongly backs both the ongoing reunification talks and Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat, who leads the negotiations.

The right-wing National Unity Party (UBP) won the parliamentary elections by a wide margin, securing enough deputies to form the government alone. The UBP victory may complicate the reunification talks led by Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias because the UBP seeks a solution that will guarantee distinct sovereignty to the Turkish Cypriots, a nonstarter for the Greek Cypriots. "I want to emphasize that we wish for support for, not obstacles against, the process going on between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the island," Erdoğan told a meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Parliament. "There should be no speculation on this."Erdoğan also said his government rejects suggestions that a change in the government in the KKTC could bring reunification talks to an end or change the basis on which the reunification talks are being held. The UBP says it is not against the idea of a federal solution, but the way it describes federalism differs from its rival Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Talat's political ally. Eroğlu reiterated yesterday that his party favored solution of the Cyprus problem provided that the existence of two states is recognized on the island. "There are two peoples, two states, two democracies on the island. We support every settlement that will be based on this," he said in a statement.He insisted that the UBP would work for a quick solution to the Cyprus problem and claimed that his parameters for a solution were in harmony with those of Ankara. Eroğlu also vowed to embrace all groups in the KKTC.Any UBP move to block reunification negotiations would strain relations with both President Talat and Turkey's AK Party government, which backs Talat. Analysts say, however, that the UBP would have no choice but to follow the Talat-Ankara line because the KKTC government is heavily dependent on the Turkish government to finance its economy. Turkey is planning to provide TL 815 million (about $500 million) in aid to the KKTC to finance infrastructure investments and investments to boost the production sector, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The KKTC administration relies on financial aid from Turkey to pay the salaries of its civil servants, the largest group in its working population. But disputes that could arise between the UBP and the AK Party could be a serious blow to the AK Party as well. For the AK Party, open hostility to the Turkish Cypriot government would pave the way for a nationalist campaign that it is selling out Cyprus, a national cause for many Turks, despite objections from the Turkish Cypriots themselves. Analysts say the AK Party's opponents -- the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) -- will emerge as the winners if the AK Party is seen to be making too many concessions despite an outcry from the Turkish Cypriot government. Addressing their parliamentary groups yesterday, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and CHP leader Deniz Baykal both hailed the KKTC election results. "This result should be seen as the end of political forces that came to power by making false promises and the success of Turkish Cypriots who have begun to take a more realistic look at the Cyprus problem," Bahçeli told his deputies. "The Turkish Cypriots have turned their back on the submissive mentality," he added. The MHP opposed UN-brokered efforts to reunite the island, which eventually collapsed when the Greek Cypriots voted against a reunification plan in 2004. The Turkish Cypriots, who voted for the plan, were left outside the European Union while Greek Cyprus joined as full member only a few days after rejecting the UN plan. The EU's pledges to ease the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots have not been kept so far, creating disillusionment among the Turkish Cypriots and undermining hopes for a settlement. "The EU has recognized Greek Cyprus as the sole representative of the island. The Turkish Cypriots have finally seen that their expectations from the EU will never be realized, and the voters have woken up to realities," Bahçeli said.Baykal also underlined that the Turkish Cypriots woke up to the reality that the international community would never keep its promises to ease their isolation. "From now on, the fate of Cyprus will not be determined on the basis of what outsiders say," Baykal said. He also called for transparency in the reunification talks, saying there should be no bargaining behind closed doors. The UBP has stated that it will appoint a representative to accompany Talat in the talks, a sign of its desire to supervise the president in the negotiations.  22 April 2009, WednesdayTODAY'S ZAMAN  ANKARA