As expected, the results of the recent election in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus has led to a period of cohabitation.

At the election, the Party of National Unity (UBP) won 26 of the 52 seats in the parliament. The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) won 15 seats, the Democratic Party (DP) 5 seats, the Communal Democracy Party (TKP) 2 seats, and the Freedom and Reform Party (ORP) 2 seats. The President, Mehmet Ali Talat, is from the CTP. The UBP and the CTP have divergent policy preferences on the issue of the future of Northern Cyprus.

Last week the new parliament convened and earlier this week Derviş Eroğlu’s new UBP government was approved by President Talat. South East European Times reports that there are 11 ministers and gives the names of the most senior ones.

Prime Minister Eroğlu was head of government previously from 9.7.1985-1.1.1994 and from 1.8.1996-13.1.2004.

There is an interesting, though somewhat dated, article on party politics in Northern Cyprus available here. There is also a really informative article in South East European Society and Politics, vol. 9, no. 3, 2004, pp. 122-36, as well as a further election report in the same journal vol. 10, no. 3, 2005, pp. 465-75.