CYPRUS: The Turkish Cypriot coalition government narrowly survived a no confidence vote on Saturday by a vote of 25-25. A simple majority was needed for the motion to succeed. The Prime Minister, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, said, "early elections are inevitable" but could not name a date.
Mr Talat's coalition partner, the Foreign Minister, Mr Serdar Denktash, agreed. Mr Talat's Republican Turkish Party and Mr Denktash's Democratic Party, with a total of 23 seats, remained in power because they won the support of two small parties with one seat each.
The opposition leader, Mr Dervis Eroglu, whose National Unity Party has 18 seats, was able to threaten the coalition because he had the support of the Popular Democracy Movement headed by Mr Mustafa Akinci, with four seats, the New Party with one, and two independents. Mr Akinci stood against the government after talks to bring his party into the coalition failed. Mr Talat, a supporter of the UN plan for reunification of the island, forged his coalition with Mr Denktash, who went along because the majority of Turkish Cypriots want the UN plan.
He is the son of the veteran Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, an opponent of reunification.
Mr Talat's natural partners should have been Mr Akinci and the two small pro-plan parties who voted with his government on Saturday. But they are prepared to make more concessions to the Greek Cypriots than Mr Talat and Turkey.
Mr Talat's government lost its majority in May when legislators resigned from the two constituent parties following the failure of the April 24th referendum to reunite the island ahead of its entry into the EU. Sixty-four per cent of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the plan, which was defeated when 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots voted no.
Although the EU has pledged to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, sanctioned since the Turkish army occupied the north 30 years ago, and to provide financial aid, they remain outside the European bloc with no prospect of accession until a settlement is reached.
Also on Saturday, Mr Talat declared the opening of a new border crossing in the Morphou area to ease the passage of Greek and Turkish Cypriots and of goods across the line.
He announced this the day after the Cyprus government put forward a package of confidence building measures, including a mutual troop reduction along the the ceasefire line, demining of the buffer zone, and the opening of eight new crossing points.
The proposal called for joint operation of Famagusta port and the handover of the Famagusta suburb of Varosha to the UN. Both have been under Turkish control since 1974.
Although the US and EU reacted positively, Mr Talat promptly rejected it.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdullah Gul said: "We'll evaluate [the proposal] with our [Turkish Cypriot] friends and then we will make a decision."