Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said he would seek a second presidential term in elections next month, pitting him against a popular hardliner in a vote crucial to a reunification process on divided Cyprus. The winner of elections scheduled for April 18 will be mandated to continue peace negotiations with Greek Cypriots, a complex process which could be pivotal to Turkey's bid to join the European Union, according to Reuters. "It is my mission to create the conditions where we can live together alongside Turkey, the Greek Cypriots, Europe and the international community," Talat told supporters on Saturday at a stadium in Nicosia, the war-divided capital of the island. Cyprus has been split since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.. Talat's key contender is Dervis Eroglu, now prime minister of the northern Turkish Cypriot breakaway enclave recognised only by Ankara. Eroglu advocates a two-state settlement to the division of Cyprus, a prospect rejected by Greek Cypriots. An opinion poll published in the Kibris daily on Saturday put Eroglu in the lead in voters' preferences, giving him 52.9 percent of the vote over Talat's 47.1 percent. Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias, both viewed by diplomats as moderates, have been holding peace talks since September 2008. "We have come a significant way towards a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem and our integration with the international community. However, I will not be satisfied until the job is complete," Talat said. Turkey's bid to join the EU partly hinges on progress in Cypriot reunification talks, because Greek Cypriots represent the island in the bloc and can obstruct that process.
