The pro-reunification party in Cyprus' Turkish enclave has scored a strong victory in parliamentary elections, but not enough to gain an outright majority.
The Republican Turkish Party of Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat secured 44 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, well ahead of its opponent, the National Unity Party of former Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu.
Mr. Talat, whose party won 24 of 50 seats in parliament, favors a United Nations plan to reunify the 30-year-old breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave with the Greek Cypriot government. Mr. Eroglu strongly opposes the UN plan.
Greek Cypriots rejected reunification last year, but were allowed to join the European Union under a complicated set of rules for the divided island. Sunday's vote was closely watched in Turkey, whose chances for EU membership hinge on resolution of the Cyprus dispute.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.
