U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted informal talks in Geneva on Tuesday between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, hoping to breathe new life into the Cyprus peace process that has been on hiatus for nearly eight years.
Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot Leader Ersin Tatar as well as top diplomats from Britain, Greece and Turkey attended the latest U.N.-brokered attempt to reach a settlement more than five decades after a split on Cyprus.
The Mediterranean island was divided when Turkey invaded the northern part in 1974, following a failed coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and has more than 35,000 troops in the island’s northern third.
Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is seated, enjoys full membership benefits.
Last week, a leader of the newly formed Patriotic Turkish Cypriot Movement accused Tatar of following Turkey’s directives to partition Cyprus into two states, as well as not representing the interests of the local community.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis were on hand for Tuesday's talks, along with Britain’s Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty.
