Turkish Cypriot president remains positive about talks

By Murat Demirci

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) – The president of Turkish Cypriots said Thursday that the ongoing Cyprus talks were at "a very critical phase, which could end in good results".

Talking to reporters in the capital Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mustafa Akinci said: "We should not waste that much effort and we should keep the negotiations period as short as possible."

Akinci spoke after his latest meeting with Greek Cypriot administration leader Nicos Anastasiades, hosted by the UN in Lefkosa.

Referring to the Cyprus talks in Switzerland earlier this month, Akinci said the conference on Cyprus would not be a process of "open-ended negotiations which will continue forever".

During three days of high-level talks in Geneva, the negotiators discussed the divided island's future under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the U.K.

Akinci rejected media claims that no solution came out of the Switzerland talks.

"Yes, we have not come to a full agreement; there are still steps to be taken," he said. "We are in a new phase now, that is very clear."

Akinci said the two sides had "achieved something which has not been [possible] in the last 50 years" pointing to the discussions over territorial changes on a map.

Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots exchanged maps on proposed territorial boundaries on Jan. 11 and the documents have been sealed in a UN vault.

Akinci had said previously: "The map submitted by the Greek Cypriots to the UN is unacceptable."

The next meeting between Akinci and Anastasiades will be held on Feb. 1, the TRNC president said.

The three guarantors were assigned when Cyprus gained independence from the U.K. in 1960.

As one of the guarantor powers, Turkey carried out a peace operation in 1974 in response to an attempt by Greek Cypriot militants to annex the island to Greece.