Davutoglu: "Turkey's Cyprus stance is clear"

Any delays in the negotiations towards finding a solution to the division of Cyprus cannot be legitimized, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday. Davutoglu said Turkey's stance on the Cyprus issue is clear and it wants a "comprehensive and lasting" peace on the island. Negotiations should continue without interruption, he said. The negotiation process has become quicker since Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat presented a proposal package in January, he added. "This package showed that the Turkish Cypriot party is eager to find a solution to the question." Nonetheless, he said, negotiations should be intensified further. Regarding a Greek Cypriot parliamentary decision that no guarantees would be accepted, Davutoglu said it shows a lack of good intentions in Greek Cyprus, arguing that this is against the spirit of the negotiations. "Everyone should do what they can for peace," he added.