Turkish Cypriot plunges into political crisis as government resigns after coalition collapse

The Turkish Cyprus has plunged into a political crisis after the president accepted the prime minister's resignation following the withdrawal of the government's coalition partner, amid ongoing peace talks with the Greek Cypriot administration. 

The prime minister of the Turkish Cypriot administration, Ömer Kalyoncu, submitted the resignation of his government on April 5 after his ruling coalition collapsed at a time of high hopes for reunifying the Mediterranean island.

Mustafa Ak?nc?, the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), accepted the resignation and urged the swift formation of a new government to support his talks with his Greek Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades, on ending the island's decades-old division.

"It is important to resolve internal problems, but also for the discussions we are having," Ak?nc? was quoted as saying by AFP after receiving the resignation of Kalyoncu.

Ak?nc? and Anastasiades have expressed hope they can reach a deal this year after 11 months of promising U.N.-backed talks.

The government of Turkish Cyprus collapsed after ministers from the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP) withdrew in a dispute over economic policy.

UBP Chairman Hüseyin Özgürgün said April 2 that the party decided unanimously to withdraw from the government due to its inability to address the country's economic problems and a recent move to pay civil servants' salaries in installments. 

The UBP last year formed a coalition government with the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) on July 15, 2015, under Kalyoncu. The move came after former Prime Minister Özkan Yorganc?o?lu stepped down on July 4, 2015, after losing a party leadership vote in June.

Ak?nc?...