Leaked maps of united Cyprus 'not true'

By Murat Demirci

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) – The proposed maps of a reunified Cyprus leaked to the media after last week's Geneva conference on the divided island do not reflect the truth, said the Turkish Cypriot president Wednesday.

"The map we submitted was the '29 percent plus' one that was signed by the late TRNC President Rauf Denktas. All parties in our parliament also approved it," Mustafa Akinci said in an interview with state-broadcaster TRT Haber channel.

The president reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side's map was unacceptable.

The final stages of the UN-brokered conference between the communities in Geneva last week -- also attended by the foreign ministers of guarantor powers Turkey, Greece and Britain -- ended in failure to agree on new borders and the presence of Turkish troops on the island.

Before the conference, Turkish and Greek Cypriots exchanged maps on proposed territorial boundaries and the documents have been sealed in a UN vault.

Akinci said that any agreement to be reached in Cyprus would mean to take back the "usurped rights" of Turkish Cypriot people for many years.

Turkish Cypriot and Turkey are cooperating together on the Cyprus issue, he added.

Reunification talks resumed last May and both sides have repeatedly expressed optimism a solution could be found.

Once a final agreement is reached, it would be put to both Cypriot communities in a referendum.

Akinci has said a reunification vote could be held in mid-2017 pending agreement in Geneva.