By Michele Kambas and Dina Kyriakidou
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Communist party leader DemetrisChristofias won presidential elections in Cyprus on Sunday andagreed immediately to meet the head of the island's breakawayTurkish-Cypriot community to revive reunification efforts.
The Mediterranean island's partition along ethnic lines isan obstacle to Turkey's bid to join the European Union, and asource of contention between NATO allies Turkey and Greece.
Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat called Christofiasto congratulate him on his win and they agreed to meet "at theearliest possible date", Talat's spokesman said. A spokesmanfor Christofias confirmed the call but said no date had beenset.
"I extend a hand of friendship to my compatriots theTurkish Cypriots and their political leadership, I call on themto work together for our common cause, a country of peace,"Christofias, 62, told a stadium full of jubilant supporters.
The island has been split along ethnic lines since 1974when Turkey invaded after a brief Greek-inspired coup.Reunification efforts broke down in 2004 when Greek Cypriotsrejected a U.N. plan and a divided Cyprus joined the EU soonafter.
Ankara's EU entry negotiations have been partly suspendedbecause of the deadlock over Cyprus. The EU recognises theGreek-Cypriot government in the south, where voting took placeon Sunday.
After the vote, thousands poured into the streets wavingred party banners and Cypriot flags and drove around honkinghorns. Christofias won 53.36 of the vote and right-wing rivalIoannis Kassoulides garnered 46.64 percent and conceded defeat.
CLIMATE IMPROVES
Analysts said the election would improve the climatebetween the two sides of the decades-old dispute, which hasbrought NATO members Greece and Turkey close to war a number oftimes.
"A moderate pro-solution candidate has won, he stands for adifferent approach for the negotiation, a direct contactapproach with the Turkish Cypriots...and he will deliver onthis," said political analyst Hubert Faustmann.
Christofias will be Cyprus's first communist president andthe only one in the 27-member EU. Although proud to be acommunist, he says he will leave the free market economy alone.
His AKEL party boasts busts of Lenin and red flags at itsheadquarters but it also owns a number of large businesses onthe island. It has been instrumental in electing presidents buthad never fielded its own candidate.
The surprise elimination of incumbent President TassosPapadopoulos in the first round on February 17 raised hopes theGreek Cypriots might be ready for a deal. Papadopoulos had ledthe opposition to the U.N. plan in 2004.
Christofias, who won the vote after securing support fromPapadopoulos's party, favours a structured approach to freshtalks through the United Nations.
Turkish Cypriots, who have watched wealthier Greek Cypriotsenjoy the benefits of EU membership alone, welcomed the result,saying they were keen for negotiations to re-start.
Initial reaction from Turkey was lukewarm.
"We are a little cautious at the moment," a ForeignMinistry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Wehave to see whether Christofias gave promises to Papadopoulosor not. (Christofias) will face a sincerity test."
(Additional reporting by Simon Bahceli and SteliosOrphanides, and Zerin Elci in Ankara; writing by DinaKyriakidou; editing by Stephen Weeks)
