The Cypriot leaders discussed the issue of land distribution, one of the most difficult questions in efforts to reunite the island, divided since 1974. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), whose population stands at about 200,000, controls 37 percent of Cypriot territory. Talat said earlier land concessions would be inevitable in any deal to reunite the island.
The leaders discussed “principles” and stated their positions without debating how the map of the island should be shaped in a reunited Cyprus. The two leaders also decided to take a three-week break from the talks in August. Before the summer recess, Talat and Christiofias will have five more rounds of talks on July 9, 17, 23, 30 and August 6, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy Taye-Brook Zerihoun said after the talks. Thursday's meeting was the 35th since September.
Talat hopes the talks on reunification of the island will be completed in the coming months, followed by negotiations on the disputed issues. These negotiations would then produce an agreement on how to reunite the island to be voted on in referendums in both parts of the island. But the Greek Cypriot side is more pessimistic about the prospects of a solution, saying the progress achieved in the talks so far has been very limited.
The division of Cyprus is one of the main stumbling blocks for Turkey's accession into the European Union. The EU suspended negotiations on eight of the 35 chapters in 2006 due to Turkey's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus. The 27-nation bloc will review the issue once again at the end of this year.
Benzer Haberler 
Diplomacy
