Turkey gave a muted response yesterday to the defeat of Tassos Papadopoulos in the first round of voting in the presidential election in Cyprus, although some commentators said his defeat might open the way to ending the isolation of the island's Turkish Cypriot community, write Vincent Boland in Ankara and Kerin Hope in Athens .

There was no official reaction in the Turkish government. But the media were quick to hail the ousting of the man some referred to as "Mr No". Mr Papadopoulos is widely blamed in Turkey for repeatedly blocking efforts by the international community to end the 34-year division of Cyprus.