Athens has long harboured ambitions to make Cyprus part of the Greek territory like Crete and other islands in the Aegean Sea, causing obstacles to resolving old territorial issues with Ankara, according to experts.
Ersin Tatar, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, rejects any status for Turkish Cypriots under the so-called "Republic of Cyprus", saying a two-state solution is the only viable option to settle the decades-old dispute.
President Ersin Tatar said it has become inevitable for Turkish Cypriots to maintain their sovereign rights on the island, adding it is no longer possible to agree on a federal structure for Cyprus.
"The coalition government is no longer sustainable," Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus PM Ersan Saner says after the tripartite alliance lost its parliamentary majority.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Ersin Tatar meets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades in New York where he calls for sovereign equality and international equal status.
Turkish Cypriot President Tatar says official talks on future of Cyprus meaningless without recognition of equality of both sides as sovereign states, with Greek Cypriots wanting a bizonal, bi-communal federation with political equality.
At the UN-led meeting, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Ankara supports a two-state solution to the island with a sustainable settlement only achievable based on ground realities.
"The meeting in Geneva will be informal. There will be no new negotiations to be held there," says Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
It would be pointless to keep rehashing the idea of a federated Cyprus made up of two separate zones, which has failed to produce any results over a half century of negotiations, Turkey's top diplomat says.
After the elections the new Turkish Cypriot president will have to decide on what to do next in regards to negotiations.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Prime Minister Ersin Tatar on the win, adding Ankara will continue efforts to protect rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Unofficial results show incumbent Mustafa Akinci and right-wing candidate Ersin Tatar trading the lead several times, but neither getting required majority to win outright.
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