By Michele Kambas
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots voted on Sunday for anew president in a cliff-hanger three-way race seen as crucialto any revival of peace talks on the divided island and toTurkey's hopes of joining the EU.
No clear winner is likely from Sunday's vote. Pollsforecast a tight contest between incumbent Tassos Papadopoulosand challengers Demetris Christofias and Ioannis Kassoulides.
Voting was scheduled to end at 1500 GMT (3 p.m. Britishtime) with final results expected at around 1830. If nocandidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will beheld on February 24.
The winner will be mandated to seek a peace deal to reuniteCyprus's ethnic Greeks and Turks, divided since a Turkishinvasion in 1974 sparked by a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Cyprus is now represented in the EU by its Greek Cypriots,with north Cyprus a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state recognisedonly by Ankara.
Without a solution, Greek-led Cyprus will never agree toTurkey's admission into the EU. The problem could alsocomplicate cooperation between NATO, of which Turkey is amember, and the security arm of the EU, the ESDP.
"The future is in our hands. I hope that with the help ofthe people we can achieve the solution we want and deserve,"Papadopoulos, 74, said as he cast his vote on Sunday.
He is expected to emerge marginally ahead of the other twocandidates in the first round. He has overseen a buoyanteconomy and Cyprus's admission to the euro zone on January 1.
TOUGH ON DIVISION
Papadopoulos led Greek Cypriot opposition to a 2004 U.N.reunification plan which was accepted by Turkish Cypriots, andsays he will oppose any attempt to revive it.
Kassoulides and Christofias say they will attempt to forgecloser links with Turkish Cypriots.
"Our aspiration is to reunite this country and its people,Greek and Turkish Cypriots ... people deserve better," saidChristofias, 62, head of the island's powerful Communist party.
Kassoulides, 59, said he wanted to see Cyprus move closerto Europe. "Today we decide to move Cyprus forward as a modernEU state ... and to start the real struggle to end the(Turkish) occupation," he said.
Greek Cypriots are deeply divided on whether Papadopoulosmoved the island closer to a deal, or towards partition.
"I voted for Tassos (Papadopoulos) because he has thestrongest personality," said 31-year-old accountant MichalisAletraris. "He has the right approach on the Cyprus problem,which I think will lead to a fair solution for both sides."
Businesswoman Phedra Kyprianides, 42, felt differently. "Ididn't vote for Papadopoulos because I want to live in a statewhere it is no longer 'them and us'... and where we all feelsafe," she said.
Turkish Cypriots say a Papadopoulos victory could impactthe pace of new peace talks.
"If Papadopoulos wins it will be a blow for relations, butif either Kassoulides or Christofias win a new hope willemerge," said Basaran Duzgun, editor of the Turkish CypriotKibris newspaper.
(Additional reporting by Simon Bahceli and SteliosOrphanides, editing by Mary Gabriel)
