Leadership elections in Northern Cyprus have handed success to a Turkey-backed candidate, in a result that could have significant consequences for peace talks on the divided island. 

The second round run-off was held after initial polls last weekend failed to return an overall victor, with senior official in the ruling coalition, Ersin Tatar, elected on a slim majority.

Speaking to supporters at celebrations in the Turkey-controlled north of the capital, Nicosia, Tatar underlined his commitment to a two-state solution to the conflict in Cyprus, saying: "The world should now respect the fight of the Turkish Cypriots to live independently and honorably under their own roof." 

With votes counted, the result in favour of Tatar's National Union Party (UBP) was 51.7 percent. In conceding defeat, incumbent Mustafa Akinci said the outcome marked the end of his 45 years in politics. Running on a center-left ticket that backed a federal deal with the Greek south, Akinci has maintained throughout that Turkey's ruling Adalet ve Kalkinma Party (AKP) had played a heavy hand in polling. 

"We all know that events that shouldn't have happened did happen. We know that events that shouldn't have taken place did take place," he told reporters. 

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey launched a military intervention aimed at protecting Turkish Cypriots, following a Greece-backed coup that aimed to reunite the island with Greece. Turkey remains the only nation to officially recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Earlier this month, in a move condemned by the EU, Tatar led a march of Turkish Cypriots onto the disputed beach of Varosha, close to the island's green dividing line. Writing on Twitter, President Erdogan congratulated the new leader on his victory, adding that Turkey would make "all necessary efforts" to defend northern Cypriots. 

In addition to the future direction of peace talks, there are also concerns about where the election result may leave the stand-off between Turkey and Greece over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Turkey, which disputes maritime borders in areas claimed by the Greek south, has sent drilling ships and back-up military vessels to the region, raising fears in Brussels of possible armed confrontation between two NATO member states. 

Prior to Sunday's election, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had stated his commitment to restarting talks on the future of Cyprus, which last collapsed in Switzerland three years ago. With no date in place for meetings between the two sides, and the so called "guarantor" states of Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain, Tatar has stated a new deal on boundaries in the Mediterranean could prove key to the future of negotiations.