Turkish Cypriot parliament decides to hold early elections on April 19

The parliamentary General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution at an emergency meeting that convened upon a call by Parliament Speaker Fatma Ekenoglu.Â

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer told Anatolian Agency that he hoped the elections would be beneficial for the Turkish Cypriot people.

The ruling center-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP) proposed holding the vote a year ahead of schedule, aiming to strengthen its standing in the U.N.-sponsored peace talks with Greek Cypriots to end the island’s 44-year division.

The decision was also prompted by a government plan to introduce tighter spending policies that triggered widespread opposition among public servants.

The CTP currently governs the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in a coalition with the nationalist Liberal Reform Party.

It holds 25 seats in the 50-member parliament, while its coalition partner has five.

Cyprus has been divided since 1964 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves.

 

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Demetris Christofias began slow paced peace talks last September after a four-year hiatus, marking the first major push for peace since the failure of a U.N. reunification plan in 2004, which was approved by Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.