Election blow to Cyprus gas prospects

The emergence of a new Turkish Cypriot leader with close ties to Ankara is likely to worsen offshore tensions

A mid-October election in the tiny self-declared state of Northern Cyprus—recognised only by Turkey—is not, in global terms, a major event. But the outcome could have a significant impact on the future of the island and the exploitation of hydrocarbons in Cypriot waters. The successful candidate and new president of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, is a nationalist with strong support from Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Unlike Tatar’s predecessor, who backed the idea of Cyprus being reunified on a federal basis, the new incumbent favours a two-state solution. “We deserve our sovereignty and our independence,” he says. Overnight, one side in the