Cyprus leaders set for make-or-break talks
The Mediterranean resort island has been split since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern third
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades talks during a televised news conference at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus November 4, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
Rival leaders from divided Cyprus were set for a crunch round of UN-backed peace talks on Monday, billed as the last best chance to end one of the world's longest-running political crises.
The Mediterranean resort island has been split since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece. The five days of negotiations at a luxury resort outside Lausanne, Switzerland are expected to zero in on territorial disputes which have fuelled more than four decades of discord between the island's Greek and Turkish speaking communities.
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The current UN-brokered peace process with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci began 17 months ago. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has made clear he wants to see a final, enduring deal reached before he leaves office at the end of the year.
The last major peace push collapsed in 2004 when a proposal worked out by then-UN chief Kofi Annan was accepted by most Turkish Cypriots but resoundingly dismissed by Greek Cypriots in twin referendums. Any deal this time will require tough compromises on territory swaps, which could see a number of Turkish Cypriots displaced from their homes.
Anastasiades last week urged both sides to "seize the opportunity," calling for "progress on territory which allows us to lead to a final settlement". Akinci, whose Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognised by Ankara, also said that the push to solve the crisis cannot continue indefinitely.
"This is not something that we can keep discussing after 50 years for another 50 years. Everyone, including the UN, is aware of this," he said in a speech last week.
The two leaders will attempt to agree on the internal boundary between two future constituent states, allowing for the return of some areas in Turkish-held northern Cyprus to Greek Cypriots. The orange-growing town of Morphou in the northwest of Cyprus represents the complexities surrounding territorial disputes.
Named Guzelyurt in Turkish, it is home to around 18,000 Turkish Cypriots, some of whom have lived there for more than four decades. But before Turkey's 1974 invasion, Morphou's population was almost entirely Greek Cypriot. Greek Cypriots with ancestral ties to Morphou have said reclaiming control of the north coast town was crucial to any deal.
But some Turkish Cypriots in the town, many of whom are themselves refugees from other parts of the island, have declared relinquishing its control a non-starter. The peace blueprint drawn up by UN mediators in 2003 called for Morphou to be handed over to Greek Cypriot administration. Although Turkish Cypriot voters approved that plan, attitudes have hardened since.
Sinasi Ozdes, spokesman for a residents' campaign group, the Guzelyurt Civil Society Platform, told AFP he accepted there would have to be territorial concessions but would vote against any agreement that surrendered control of the town.
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"We're going to give something -- but not Morphou," he said.
Anastasiades warned last month that there could be no deal without a full return of the area. An agreement on disputed territory will almost certainly have to include a broader arrangement on refugee return and compensation for lost property, which cost billions of euros. And any deal would again have to be approved by voters of both sides.
The island -- home to several British military bases -- is an EU member but its division remains a major hurdle in Turkey's accession bid.
The Mediterranean resort island has been split since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece. The five days of negotiations at a luxury resort outside Lausanne, Switzerland are expected to zero in on territorial disputes which have fuelled more than four decades of discord between the island's Greek and Turkish speaking communities.
Explosion hits southern Turkey's Antalya, ambulances sent to area
The current UN-brokered peace process with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci began 17 months ago. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has made clear he wants to see a final, enduring deal reached before he leaves office at the end of the year.
The last major peace push collapsed in 2004 when a proposal worked out by then-UN chief Kofi Annan was accepted by most Turkish Cypriots but resoundingly dismissed by Greek Cypriots in twin referendums. Any deal this time will require tough compromises on territory swaps, which could see a number of Turkish Cypriots displaced from their homes.
Anastasiades last week urged both sides to "seize the opportunity," calling for "progress on territory which allows us to lead to a final settlement". Akinci, whose Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognised by Ankara, also said that the push to solve the crisis cannot continue indefinitely.
"This is not something that we can keep discussing after 50 years for another 50 years. Everyone, including the UN, is aware of this," he said in a speech last week.
The two leaders will attempt to agree on the internal boundary between two future constituent states, allowing for the return of some areas in Turkish-held northern Cyprus to Greek Cypriots. The orange-growing town of Morphou in the northwest of Cyprus represents the complexities surrounding territorial disputes.
Named Guzelyurt in Turkish, it is home to around 18,000 Turkish Cypriots, some of whom have lived there for more than four decades. But before Turkey's 1974 invasion, Morphou's population was almost entirely Greek Cypriot. Greek Cypriots with ancestral ties to Morphou have said reclaiming control of the north coast town was crucial to any deal.
But some Turkish Cypriots in the town, many of whom are themselves refugees from other parts of the island, have declared relinquishing its control a non-starter. The peace blueprint drawn up by UN mediators in 2003 called for Morphou to be handed over to Greek Cypriot administration. Although Turkish Cypriot voters approved that plan, attitudes have hardened since.
Sinasi Ozdes, spokesman for a residents' campaign group, the Guzelyurt Civil Society Platform, told AFP he accepted there would have to be territorial concessions but would vote against any agreement that surrendered control of the town.
13 killed in Turkey ‘bomb attacks, cross-border fire’
"We're going to give something -- but not Morphou," he said.
Anastasiades warned last month that there could be no deal without a full return of the area. An agreement on disputed territory will almost certainly have to include a broader arrangement on refugee return and compensation for lost property, which cost billions of euros. And any deal would again have to be approved by voters of both sides.
The island -- home to several British military bases -- is an EU member but its division remains a major hurdle in Turkey's accession bid.