Greek cypriot leader: We haven't made any prog ress in four months of talks

Turkey, a candidate country for the European Union, cannot continue its military presence on Cyprus, said Greek Cypriot administration leader Demetris Christofias yesterday. Speaking at a meeting, Christofias claimed that Turkish Cypriot side is aiming to establish something more like a confederation than a federation on the island, contrary to UN aims, and added, "Turkey should encourage Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to approve a 'reasonable and positive thesis,' and has a commitment to help the negotiation process for peace between the two sides succeed." He also complained that in four months of bilateral talks, no progress had been made.