Cyprus talks could ‘resume’ in October

NICOSIA

President Eroğlu (R) meets with UN envoy to Cyprus, Downer. AA photo

The United Nations’ chief envoy to Cyprus said today that he anticipated a resumption of peace talks in October, after a lull of more than a year.

The winner of the recent parliamentary elections in North Cyprus said after the vote that his party would be at an equal distance to all parties when negotiating for a coalition. Özkan Yorgancıoğlu’s Turkish Party-United Front (CTP-BG) party received 38.49 percent of the vote and it has two options for a coalition, either with the National Union Party (UBP) or the Democrat Party-Nationalist Powers (DP-UG). “The CTP-BG will accomplish the leadership task to create the right solution for Turkish Cypriots,” Yorgancıoğlu said yesterday, adding that the promised reforms would be completed once they start to govern the country. He said his party would be open to dialogue with all political parties and civil society organizations in a transparent way, and also vowed to push for a solution on the Cyprus problem.

Reunification talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots have been stalled for the past 14 months, in part because of financial turmoil engulfing the island. “They are looking to starting talks in October,” said U.N. special adviser Alexander Downer, referring to the two sides. “That is the indication they are giving and obviously there is a lot of work that needs to be done from now until then.”