Talat urges UN chief to get involved in Cyprus solution efforts

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat had talks on Monday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters in New York, discussing the ongoing reunification talks on the island. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Talat underlined that the talks should be based on parameters set by the UN, warning that otherwise they are doomed to fail. The Turkish Cypriot leader also said he had told Ban that his personal involvement in reunification efforts would boost their chances of success, adding that he called on Ban to visit the island. Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have warned that the ongoing talks between Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias could be the last chance to reunite the island and are urging international actors, most notably the UN and the US, to exert more pressure for a solution. In an address to the UN General Assembly last week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the current status of the TRNC as an independent state will have to be acknowledged by the international community if efforts to reunite the island again fail.