Turkish Cypriots announce readiness to negotiate land issue

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) yesterday announced at a summit in Geneva that they are ready to discuss the issue of land distribution, one of the most difficult questions facing efforts to reunite the island, divided since 1974. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias met in Geneva to set up a new roadmap for the Cyprus talks which began in 2008. The Turkish Cypriot leadership proposed negotiating the issue of land distribution. Foreign diplomatic sources said the Turkish Cypriot initiative was aimed at addressing the Greek Cypriot criticism that no progress had been made since the land distribution issue hasn't been taken up during the Cyprus talks. Ban called on Cypriot leaders to overcome their differences by October. "I have every expectation that by October the leaders will be able to report they have reached convergence on all core issues and that we will meet that month in New York," Ban said in a statement read out in the presence of the two sides' leaders. If the sides are able to reach convergence on all core issues – defined by the UN as European Union issues, the economy, governance, property, security and territory – it would pave the way towards convening a final, international conference, Ban said.