Cyprus Talks End Without Breakthrough

05/10/2002| IslamWeb

Talks between the Turkish and Greek leaders of Cyprus ended without a breakthrough Friday but the two parties agreed to continue dialogue to try to resolve the dispute that divides the Mediterranean island. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan , who facilitated the talks, said he would meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Greek Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides again in November.

"The opportunity that is at hand must be seized," Annan said in a statement after two days of talks, underlining the difficulty in keeping the two leaders at the negotiating table.

Cyprus has been split into a Greek Cypriot south and Turkish-occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 after an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece.

The invasion came close to sparking all-out war between NATO members and U.S. allies Turkey and Greece, and the island's division remains the main stumbling block in improving relations between the two traditional rivals. A breakaway state declared in the northern part of the island is recognized only by Turkey.

Annan hasn't come up with any specific proposals for resolving the dispute, and observers have suggested a compromise would be hard to sell to political parties in Turkey ahead of the country's Nov. 3 general election.

The U.N. Security Council has called for the reunification of Cyprus as a single state made up of ethnically Greek and Turkish regions.

In the meantime, a 1,200-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission has kept the sides at bay for 30 years.

Talks started in January but stalled over Denktash's demand for recognition of his breakaway state before the end of the year - when Cyprus is expected to be admitted to the European Unions.

Turkey, which is also bidding to become an EU member, has threatened to annex the Turkish-controlled north of the island if Cyprus joins the EU before a settlement. At the same time, Greece, Cyprus' patron, has suggested it would block Turkey's membership bid if Cyprus was not admitted into the 15-nation group.

PHOTO CAPTION

Rauf Denktash Turkish Cypriot Leader arrives at United Nations for talks about the dispute over the reunification of Cyprus Friday, Oct. 4, 2002. Cyprus has been split into a Greek Cypriot south and Turkish-occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 after an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. (AP Photo/David Karp)