The newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar talks to his supporters after winning the Turkish Cypriots election in the Turkish occupied area in the north part of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Ersin Tatar, a hardliner who favors even closer ties with Turkey and a tougher stance with rival Greek Cypriots in peace talks has defeated the leftist incumbent in the Turkish Cypriot leadership runoff. Only Turkey recognizes a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north that is economically and militarily dependent on Ankara. The island’s internationally recognized government has its seat in the Greek Cypriot south and is part of the 27-nation European Union. Turkish Cypriot broadcaster BRT says with 100% of the votes counted, Tatar secured 51.74% of the vote compared to 48.26% for Akinci.

He’s also a champion of Turkish Cypriots who oppose Turkey’s complete domination of their affairs. His hardline challenger Ersin Tatar, 60, advocates fully aligning Turkish Cypriots with Turkish policies, such as pursuing a two-state deal instead of a federation. Since then, the agreed-upon arrangement that would restore Turkish Cypriots to the international fold is a federation of two separately administered zones. Ankara says it’s got every right to look for energy reserves there and that it's also defending Turkish Cypriots' rights. Greek Cypriots say Turkish Cypriots’ share to a potential gas bounty is already guaranteed.

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during the Turkish Cypriots election for a new leader in the Turkish occupied area in the north part of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. Turkish Cypriots vote to choose a leader who'll explore, with rival Greek Cypriots, whether there's enough common ground left for a deal to end the island's decades of ethnic division. (AP Photo/Nedim Enginsoy)NICOSIA – Turkish Cypriots began voting Sunday for a leader tasked with overcoming their deep political chasms with rival Greek Cypriots in order to pave the way for a deal to end 46 years of ethnic division in Cyprus and quell tensions over offshore energy reserves. Analysts predict a race between leftist incumbent Mustafa Akinci, center-left CTP party leader Tufan Erhurman and Tatar. Many Turkish Cypriots voiced opposition to the move that they saw as a ploy to boost support for Tatar, and Greek Cypriots expressed anger at the beachfront's reopening.