Mehmet Ali Talat (July 6, 1952) is the President-elect of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He is leader of the moderate Republican Turkish Party (Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi), and is in favour of reunification of the island under a federal structure, in order that Cyprus may join the European Union as a united island. He was appointed Prime Minister in 2004 and President on April 17, 2005.