Deal to reunite Cyprus within reach, UN chief Ban says

[webfact]

Deal to reunite Cyprus within reach, UN chief Ban says

 

 

GENEVA: -- A deal to reunite the divided island of Cyprus is within reach, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said at the start of five days of United Nations led talks in Switzerland.

 

Urging the island’s rival leaders to seize the opportunity, Ban said negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci will focus on the question of territory and security.

 

“The prospect of a solution in Cyprus is within their reach. Expectations in both communities are high. Cyprus offers tremendous hope to people around the world that a long-standing conflict can be resolved peacefully through negotiations,” United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said.

 

A Turkish invasion in 1974, triggered by a coup attempt by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Athens, split Cyprus.

 

Since then it has remained divided, with the northern third of the Mediterranean island controlled by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds controlled by Greek Cypriots.

 

The latest talks are expected to focus on possible land swaps to address the claims of those islanders who fled their homes in 1974.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-11-08

[BuaBS]

Bad idea !! The island should be 100 % Greek. Is this yet again a backdoor for turkey to get in europe ? Who am I kidding , they are already there.

[Enoon]

27 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Bad idea !! The island should be 100 % Greek. Is this yet again a backdoor for turkey to get in europe ? Who am I kidding , they are already there.

 

No, it should be British again:

"on 5 November 1914 the British Empire formally annexed Cyprus and declared the Ottoman Khedivate of Egypt and Sudan a Sultanate and British protectorate."

 

Well done if you can work out who Cyprus "belongs" to:

Cyprus - Wikipedia

 

100% anything means "Israel" in the Med.

 

[tifino]

land swaps are just one thing...

 

After seeing the photo diaries from the No Go Zone:

 what about all those abandoned Toyotas? -  it's a time capsule there for some amazing old collectibles, languishing in garages and along the curbs ( a bit like 'the day after' )

[craigt3365]

Let Cyprus be an independent country again, which was declared in 1960.  Not a bad way to go. 

[KBsinter]

I wonder if the U.N will give the funds to repair,the Turks side, bloody disgrace.  .......... 

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Let Cyprus be an independent country again, which was declared in 1960.  Not a bad way to go. 

 

1974 - 42 years of partial illegal occupation by a Turkish invasion force. And now the UN is crowing it might finally of brokered some sort of deal.

Ah but Turkey is a NATO ally, a prominent EU candidate and a friendly "secular" but mainly Muslim state. So no sanctions, pressure or criticism required. 

A friend lost his hotel business. Wonder if he'll ever get it back with some compensation - haha.