GENEVA (AP) — The leaders of Cyprus have begun a second day of talks aimed at reunifying the island split along ethnic Greek and Turkish lines, addressing issues of how power could be shared, ties with the European Union and economic matters.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci were meeting at U.N. offices in Geneva before the talks take an international turn, with the arrival of British, Greek and Turkish leaders on Thursday.

Anastasiades said Tuesday on his way in that "we are here to work intensely, with the hope that the talks will be productive and we will reach positive results."

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkey sent in troops in the wake of a Greek-backed coup that aimed to unite the island with Greece. </s> The last round of peace talks took place in Switzerland in November. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Rival Cypriot leaders resume UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva on Monday billed as a historic opportunity to end decades of conflict on the divided island, but the outcome is far from certain.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who have negotiated for more than 18 months in the run-up to the talks, have been among the most outspoken proponents of a deal.

But both acknowledge key issues still need to be thrashed out, with the prospects of solving one of the world's longest-running geopolitical disputes remaining murky.

The United Nations has pulled out all the stops in its bid for a deal, eyeing the best chance of a settlement in more than a decade.

"It is a real possibility that 2017 will be the year when the Cypriots, themselves, freely decide to turn the page of history," said UN envoy Espen Barth Eide, who will receive the two leaders from around 8.45 am (0745 GMT).

On the eve of the talks, Greek and Turkish residents gathered in Nicosia to hear musicians from both sides perform at a "Countdown to Peace" concert, with the setlist including The Beatles' "Come Together".

"We are ready. So we send a message to our leaders, to the whole world, that we, the people of this island, we can live together," said Marilena Evangelou, chief editor of the online edition of Politis, one of several media outlets that organised the concert.

But some experts believe the Geneva talks are a disaster waiting to happen because of deep divisions on core issues such as property, territorial adjustments and security.

Leaving for Geneva on Sunday, Akinci described the talks as a "crossroads".

"We are not at a point where Geneva will mark the final conclusion. We need to be cautious," he said.

And Anastasiades tweeted that he was heading to the talks "with hope, confidence and unity" after earlier striking a note of caution, warning of "significant differences on substantive issues fundamental to a Cyprus solution".

Cyprus, home to around one million people, has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Nine years later, Turkish Cypriot leaders declared a breakaway state in the north which is recognised only by Ankara.

The years of communal violence, which culminated in the Turkish invasion, saw tens of thousands from both sides flee their homes -- and they remain displaced to this day.

It has always been agreed that some of the territory currently controlled by the Turkish Cypriots will be ceded to Greek Cypriot control in any peace deal.

Just how much and which land they should give up has hampered four decades of talks.

The issue is vital because the two leaders have pledged to put any deal to the vote in their respective communities.

In 2004, a majority of Turkish Cypriots backed a UN reunification plan but it was overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.

The sides also remain far apart on how many Greek Cypriots should be able to return to homes they fled in 1974, with Akinci determined to minimise the number of Turkish Cypriots who would be displaced for a second time.

And there are differences over security arrangements with Anastasiades wanting Turkish troops to leave the island but Akinci determined to keep a military presence.

Akinci also insists on a rotating presidency with a Turkish Cypriot elected every two years -- a proposal unpopular among Greek Cypriots.

The two sides will on Wednesday provide maps of their proposals for the internal boundaries of a future bi-zonal federation.

If that goes to plan, they will be joined from Thursday by the leaders of the island's three guarantor powers -- former colonial ruler Britain, Greece and Turkey.

Hubert Faustmann, a history and political science professor at the University of Nicosia, said he believed the talks would be a stepping stone.

"I expect neither a success nor a failure but the beginning of a series of final round talks under the participation of the guarantor powers with 'observers' invited from the EU and Security Council," he told AFP. </s> Direct talks take place today in Geneva between Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı in what have been called “the best and last chance” to achieve a settlement of the decades long conflict which has divided the island nation.

The direct talks between Anastasiades and Akıncı are preparatory for a formal conference commencing in Geneva on 12th January 2017, which will bring not only these two leaders together but also the so-called “guarantor powers” – Greece, Turkey and Britain.

Britain is participating in the talks as Cyprus’s former colonial power and as one of the guarantors of Cyprus’s independence and territorial integrity following Cyprus’s 1950s independence war against Britain.

The talks between Anastasiades and Akıncı are the first direct talks between the leaders of Cyprus’s Greek and Turkish communities in 43 years – since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974. Supposedly they will be poring over maps and discussing territorial trade-offs before discussing the central issue of security.

The ultimate plan is to agree some of federation that will bring together the two parts of the island, ending one of Europe’s and the world’s most intractable conflicts.

There are many obstacles in the way of a settlement, and a final agreement is far from guaranteed. However there does seem to be a serious effort underway to seek a solution.

All the parties have strong reasons to seek a settlement, though not it should be stressed at any price, ensuring that the negotiations which lie ahead will be long and hard.

In the case of Turkey, which is facing multiple crises in its relations with Syria, Iraq and the US, which is struggling against terrorist campaigns launched against it by ISIS and the Kurds, and which is looking at the early stages of a possible economic crisis, settlement of the Cyprus conflict would not only be a success for President Erdogan but would mean that his government has one less problem to deal with.

In the case of Greece, a settlement of the Cyprus conflict would at last provide the otherwise disastrous Syriza government of Alexis Tsipras with a success.

For the people of Cyprus, divided from each other for 43 years, it would finally end the division of their island and their country, and bring them peace. </s> NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The United Nations chief is urging the rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus to seize the opportunity for a reunification deal that he says is within their reach.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the two leaders are at a “critical juncture” in talks now taking place in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, and that they must make the most of the moment. Ban on Monday offered his full support to Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and called on Greece, Britain and Turkey to give their backing.

Anastasiades and Akinci will concentrate over five days of talks on how much territory each side will administer under an envisioned federation.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup aiming at union with Greece. </s> GENEVA: Leaders of ethnically split Cyprus are scheduled to launch a week of intensive talks from Monday to reach the outline of a peace deal to end decades of division.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades were to meet at the United Nations' European headquarters in Geneva for three full days of discussions.

The talks would subsequently broaden to include other nations with a stake on the strategically placed island on Thursday.

New U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was expected to attend the conference on Thursday, has described the talks as an "historic opportunity" for a breakthrough.

Power-sharing, redrawing property boundaries and security issues in a future reunited homeland are key sticking points in negotiations that have resulted in logjams in the past.

However, mediators are keen to capitalise on the momentum of two moderates at the helm of their communities before domestic election cycles dislodge the process.

"We must be cautious. We are not pessimistic, but I see no need for exaggerated expectations that everything will just happen. We are expecting a difficult week," Akinci said on Sunday.

Cyprus's Greek and Turkish Cypriots have lived estranged since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island's north after a brief Greek-inspired coup. The seeds of partition were sown years earlier soon after independence from Britain in 1960.

Today, the island of just over one million inhabitants is split with Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south, separated by one of the world's oldest U.N. peacekeeping forces.

The status of some 30,000 Turkish troops stationed in Cyprus's north is crucial. The Greek side insists they must all be pulled out, while the Turkish side says some must remain.

That issue will dominate discussions between Britain, Turkey and Greece on Thursday. The three are guarantor powers of Cyprus under a 1960 treaty that granted the former colony independence.

Any agreement must be put to separate referendums in the two communities, with diplomats anticipating a vote around June. A previous peace blueprint put to referendum in 2004 was accepted by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots. </s> Rival Cypriot leaders hold UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva from Monday billed as a historic opportunity to end decades of division on the island but the outcome is far from certain. Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades have held more than 18 months of negotiations in the run-up to the crunch talks but both men acknowledge that key issues remain to be thrashed out.

The United Nations has pulled out all the stops to get a deal over the line, eyeing the best chance of a settlement in more than a decade. "It is a real possibility that 2017 will be the year when the Cypriots, themselves, freely decide to turn the page of history," UN envoy Espen Barth Eide said in a New Year's message.

But some analysts believe that Geneva is a disaster waiting to happen because of the deep divisions between the two sides on core issues such as property, territorial adjustments and security. "I will be surprised if there is a comprehensive agreement given the difficulties," Andreas Theophanous, head of the Cyprus Centre for European and International Affairs, told AFP.

Leaving for the talks on Sunday, the Turkish Cypriot leader told reporters that they marked a "crossroads" and it was vital to "achieve positive results and not just meet up".

"We are not at a point where Geneva will mark the final conclusion. We need to be cautious," Akinci said. "We are not pessimistic but we shouldn't assume everything is done and dusted. We are expecting a tough week."

As he left the island, Anastasiades, who heads the island's internationally recognised government, tweeted that he was heading to the talks "with hope, confidence and unity." But earlier this week, he too struck a note of caution, warning of "significant differences on substantive issues fundamental to a Cyprus solution".

The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece. Nine years later, Turkish Cypriot leaders declared a breakaway state in the north which is recognised only by Ankara.

The years of communal violence, which culminated in the Turkish invasion, saw tens of thousands from both sides flee their homes -- and they remain displaced to this day.

It has always been agreed that some of the territory currently controlled by the Turkish Cypriots will be ceded to Greek Cypriot control in any peace deal. Just how much and which land they should give up has hampered four decades of peace talks.

The issue is vital because any deal the two leaders reach will have to be put to the vote in their respective communities. In 2004, a majority of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of a UN reunification plan but it was overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.

The two sides have undertaken to provide maps on Wednesday of their proposals for the internal boundaries of a future bizonal federation. If that goes to plan, they will be joined from Thursday by the leaders of the island's three guarantor powers -- former colonial ruler Britain, Greece and Turkey.

"I expect neither a success nor a failure but the beginning of a series of final round talks under the participation of the guarantor powers with 'observers' invited from the EU and Security Council," said Hubert Faustmann, professor of history and political science at the University of Nicosia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call on Saturday that the Geneva talks were a "real opportunity" to end the island's division.

But there are differences over future security arrangements with Anastasiades wanting the tens of thousands of Turkish troops on the island to leave but Akinci demanding a continued Turkish military presence.

Akinci also insists on a rotating presidency for the future federation -- a proposal unpopular among Greek Cypriots. Analyst Theophanous said the most likely outcome of the Geneva talks would be an agreement to continue negotiations in Nicosia. "It will be an ongoing process but this has been going on for so many years," he said. –AFP </s> International talks on the reunification of Cyprus, aimed at healing divisions on the Mediterranean Island split along ethnic Greek and Turkish lines for more than four decades have taken a hiatus and are to restart on 18 January.

Discussions between the two opposing sides, led by Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, look to form a power sharing agreement between the two groups.

However, they face an uphill struggle which looks unlikely to result in reunification in the short term. The leaders are said to be hopeful in reaching an agreement on a referendum question, put to their people. The island as a whole is a presidential republic recognised by the United Nations, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognised by Turkey.

Former Norwegian foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide is the current UN envoy to Cyprus, and has said the United Nations would only facilitate, and not arbitrate, talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, according to Reuters news agency.

"The leaders are showing a lot of courage, a lot of will," Eide told a news briefing. "It's going to be difficult but not impossible. We are now in the final moment. We are now in the moment of truth," he said.

Where are negotiations now?

The last round of talks in Geneva in November broke down after two days, with both Turkish and Cypriot negotiators blaming each other for the inaction. The Greek Cypriot government said the breakdown in talks was due to the Turkish attitude. The Turkish Cypriot government accused their counterparts of asking too much of their territory.

The broad view, as talks continue, is that some of the territory held by the Turkish side in Cyprus will be ceded to the Greeks. One of the principal sticking points between the two sides for decades has been what land should be handed over.

Who are the opposing sides in the negotiations?

The Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been leading recent discussions but Britain, Turkey and Greece all have skin in the game as far as negotiations go.

Since August 1974, the ceasefire line and the UN bufferzone which divides the island has remained in place. Greece and Turkey – the two adversarial nations' embattled in conflict – and Britain are still guarantors in Cyprus' peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Greek counterpart, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will both play an active role in the Geneva discussions to lay out their positions.

AP reported that Erdogan, in his most recent pronouncement, says his country must continue to underwrite the security of Cyprus, even if a deal to reunify the island is struck but the island remains divided along ethnic Greek and Turkish lines.

Once populated by Mycenaean Greeks, and also settled by Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, Cyprus was later conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1571. It fell under British administration in 1878 and remained under its control until independence in 1960 – from 1925 to 1960, it was a British colony. Greek Cypriots were unhappy with the power gained by the North in the independence deal of 1960-1961. Turkish armed forces invaded Cyprus in July 1974, following a pro-Greek coup on the Island just five days earlier. The coup had been orchestrated by the then military government in power in Athens with the Cypriot National Guard deposing Cyprus' president the Archbishop Makarios IIII. The eventual aim of the Government in Athens was the annexation of Cyprus. 

 The initial Turkish incursion into Cyprus saw the country's military seize 3% of the Island. A second offensive by Turkish forces, following a brief ceasefire, resulted in Turkey occupying 40% of the island and taking over the northern section of the island. The northern part of the island was declared a breakaway state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983 and there is a large military presence of around 30,000 Turkish troops. </s> United Nations Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide (centre) meets with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias (not pictured) at the Foreign ministry in Athens, Greece January 4, 2017. — Reuters picNICOSIA, Jan 8 — Rival Cypriot leaders resume UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva tomorrow billed as a historic opportunity to end a decades-long conflict on the divided island, but the outcome is far from certain.

Both Turkish- and Greek-speaking sides concede all key issues remain unresolved but the UN is pulling out all the stops to get a deal over the line.

“It is a real possibility that 2017 will be the year when the Cypriots, themselves, freely decide to turn the page of history,” United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide said in his New Year’s message.

But some experts believe that Geneva is a disaster waiting to happen because Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are still worlds apart on the most crucial sticking points such as property, territorial adjustments and security.

“I will be surprised if there is a comprehensive agreement given the difficulties,” Andreas Theophanous, head of the Cyprus Centre for European and International Affairs, told AFP.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

It has always been agreed that some of the territory currently controlled by the Turkish Cypriots will be ceded to Greek Cypriot control in any peace deal.

Turkish Cypriots made up just 18 per cent of the island’s population in 1974, but they currently control more than a third of its territory.

Just how much and which land they should give up has hampered four decades of peace talks.

Years of inter-community violence, which culminated with the Turkish invasion and subsequent declaration of a republic on Cyprus’ northern third, saw thousands from both sides flee their homes — and they remain displaced to this day.

The territory issue is so vital because both Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will have to sell any final agreement to their respective sides via twin popular votes.

They remain far apart on how many Greek Cypriots should be able to return to homes they fled in 1974, with Akinci determined to minimise the number of Turkish Cypriots who would be displaced for a second time.

And a summit planned for January 12 in Geneva of Cyprus’ so-called guarantor powers — Greece, Turkey and former colonial master Britain — will not go ahead unless the leaders agree on final territory swaps.

“I expect neither a success nor a failure but the beginning of a series of final round talks under the participation of the guarantor powers with ‘observers’ invited from the EU and Security Council,” Hubert Faustmann, professor of history and political science at the University of Nicosia, told AFP.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday agreed in a phone call that the Geneva talks were a “real opportunity” to end Cyprus’ division.

But there are also differences over post-solution security arrangements with Anastasiades wanting the tens of thousands of Turkish troops on the island to leave but Akinci insistent on a Turkish military presence.

Akinci also insists on a rotating presidency for Cyprus where a Turkish Cypriot is elected every two years to the highest office — a proposal unpopular among Greek Cypriots.

Anastasiades and Akinci have been among the most outspoken proponents of a deal within their own communities but prospects of solving one of the world’s longest-running geopolitical disputes remain murky.

“We will go to Geneva in a positive spirit, and to support a constructive climate,” Akinci told reporters this week.

Anastasiades last week however struck a more cautious note, warning of “significant differences on substantive issues fundamental to a Cyprus solution”.

In 2004, a UN-drafted peace blueprint was approved by Turkish Cypriots but resoundingly rejected by Greek Cypriots in simultaneous referendums.

The lack of a Cyprus solution is harming Turkey’s efforts to become an EU member and adds to tension in an already volatile region.

Analyst Theophanous said the most likely outcome of the Geneva talks would be an agreement to continue negotiations in Nicosia.

“It will be an ongoing process but this (Cyprus problem) has been going on for so many years,” he said. — AFP </s> It’s make-or-break week for Greek and Turkish Cypriots, as their leaders enter the toughest stretch yet of negotiations to reunify the long-divided island. It’s a make-or-break week for the EU as well. A successful outcome for them in Geneva — and the odds of that are about if not a bit better than even — won’t necessarily mean the end of negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus. But it would put the country on track toward holding separate but simultaneous referendums in the coming months, in turn paving the way for an end to a 43-year standoff and Turkish Cypriots’ inclusion in the European Union. More :http://www.politico.eu/article/cyprus-news-standoff-talks-reunification-turkey-greece-anastasiades/
The leaders of northern and southern Cyprus meet in Switzerland to restart talks about reuniting the island.