New President of Cyprus Signals Desire to Unite Island

The new president of Cyprus said today he had contacted the UN to start talks with the Turkish Cypriot leader on reuniting the divided island, but warned that Turkey held the key.

President Demetris Christofias said he hoped to set up an exploratory meeting with Mehmet Ali Talat soon.

"We are full of goodwill to break the deadlock to solve the Cyprus problem," Christofias told Reuters. "Turkey, however, is the occupying force and that is the crux of the Cyprus problem. Otherwise, as much goodwill as Christofias and Talat and anyone else here has, we will again remain in a deadlock."

Cyprus has been divided since a coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece prompted Turkey to invade and occupy its northern section in 1974. Turkey has been told it will not be allowed to join the EU unless the Cyprus problem is resolved.

The election of Christofias yesterday was seen by diplomats as the best chance in years to break the deadlock on Cyprus. Talat, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots, has said the division of Cyprus could be resolved by the end of the year.

"I believe that it won't be a surprise if we solve the problem by the end of 2008," said Talat, a day after Christofias won election.

But there have been false dawns before. The most recent initiative foundered when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN plan in 2004, while Turkish Cypriots approved it.

Talat said there was momentum in the peace process with Christofias as president.

"I'm quite hopeful because I'm going to be negotiating," he said. "I want to solve the Cyprus problem ... We want this with all our hearts and our souls."

But Talat stressed difficult negotiations lay ahead.

Christofias said he would go to Athens next week, and then to Brussels before returning home. The European commission urged Christofias to restart talks quickly.

The head of the European commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said Christofias's election "offers the opportunity to overcome the long-standing stalemate", his office in Brussels said.

"I would strongly encourage you to grasp this chance and without delay start negotiations under United Nations auspices with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community on a comprehensive settlement," Barroso said.

Christofias, 61, a Soviet-educated history professor, heads the communist Akel party and has long had friendly ties with the Turkish Cypriot left wing.

"I've known the Greek Cypriot leader for quite some time, and I'm more than happy," said Talat, who led a leftwing Turkish Cypriot party before becoming leader of the breakaway state in April 2005.

Christofias won comfortably on yesterday night with just over 53% of the vote, ahead of the conservative former foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, with 46.6%. Both had pledged to restart peace talks.

The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, said the vote "generated a renewed sense of hope, among both communities on the island, that progress towards a comprehensive settlement can be achieved during 2008".

Britain, the former colonial power in Cyprus, maintains two bases on the island and has long been involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve its division.

As well as removing a key obstacle to Turkey's efforts to join the EU, reunification could ease strong objections to Kosovo's new independence among Greek Cypriots, who fear it would act as a precedent for north Cyprus.

The island's division is also a major source of tension between Turkey and Greece, which are both Nato members.