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Bloc defers decision on trade tariffs and arms until consultation with Biden administrationEU leaders have agreed to impose sanctions on an unspecified number of Turkish officials and entities involved in gas drilling in Cypriot-claimed waters – but they deferred bigger decisions such as trade tariffs or an arms embargo until they have consulted with the upcoming Biden administration.The decision reached by the EU council...

Ersin Tatar, who favours even closer ties with Turkey, defeats incumbent Mustafa AkıncıA hardliner who favours even closer ties with Turkey and a tougher stance with Greek Cypriots in peace talks has defeated the leftist incumbent in the Turkish Cypriot leadership runoff.The Turkish Cypriot broadcaster BRT said Ersin Tatar secured 51.74% of the vote, compared with 48.26% for Mustafa Akıncı. Continue reading...

Poll seen as vital to resumption of peace talks to end 46 years of ethnic division on islandVoting is under way across Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in presidential elections deemed crucial for the resumption of peace talks that could end 46 years of ethnic division on the Mediterranean island.The 200,000-strong electorate began casting their ballots in polling stations following a campaign fraught with allegations of...

Veto threat from EU member threatens to derail plans to sanction Belarusian officialsCyprus is threatening to block European Union sanctions on Belarus because the bloc has declined to levy similar measures against Turkey over a long-simmering dispute about maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean.The collision between two unrelated foreign policy crises on the EU’s doorstep – the standoff between Belarus’s leader Alexander Lukashenko and...

Mustafa Akıncı says differences between island’s two sides are growing more entrenchedThe president of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus has warned the Mediterranean island faces permanent partition of its Greek and Turkish communities unless an agreement is swiftly reached involving an “equitable” federal solution.In an interview with the Guardian, Mustafa Akıncı said the differences between the two sides were growing more entrenched every year, diminishing the...

Delivery follows Libya-Turkey deal aimed at securing rights to gas reserves in east MediterraneanA Turkish military drone was delivered to northern Cyprus on Monday amid growing tensions over Turkey’s deal with Libya that extended its claims to the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean.The Bayraktar TB2 drone landed in Geçitkale airport, in Famagusta, at about 7am GMT on Monday, an AFP correspondent said. The breakaway northern Cyprus...