CYPRUS: The Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, has given a mandate to form a government to the leader of a party which backs a UN plan to reunify Cyprus.
This month's general election left parliament in the Turkish-Cypriot controlled north evenly split between supporters and opponents of the UN plan.
"We have been given the duty to form the government within the next 15 days which will then be expected to receive a vote of confidence," according to Mr Mehmet Ali Talat. His Republican People's Party had most seats after the polls, but it was far from clear whether he could win a vote of confidence in parliament.
Veteran leader Mr Denktash, president of the breakaway enclave only recognised by Turkey, is strongly opposed to the UN blueprint, arguing it would enable the richer and more numerous Greek Cypriots to dominate a reunited Cyprus.
The internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government is due to join the European Union on May 1st. "We need to form a government as quickly as possible because May 2004 is a very real date by which time a solution to the Cyprus problem needs to be found," Mr Talat said.
Turkey is putting pressure on Mr Denktash to return to talks knowing that deadlock on Cyprus could harm its own EU ambitions.
Foreign Ministry officials were scheduled yesterday to brief the Prime Minister, Mr Tayyip Erdogan, on Turkey's strategy for working towards a solution of the Cyprus problem in the framework of the plan by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan.
A report in the Cumhuriyet newspaper on Monday said the ministry had prepared a document envisaging a solution based on the Annan plan but with several adjustments.