Turks opposes continuing Cypriot talks after July 1

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are pushing to finish negotiations on Cypriot reunification by July 1 when Greek Cyprus is set to take over the EU Presidency amid growing speculation that the United Nations will propose continued talks after the date. "Any talks after July 1 have no importance," a Turkish Cypriot official told the Hurriyet Daily News, adding that the negotiations should be at a multilateral conference. "Every option is on the table," the official said, addressing the question of whether Turkish Cypriots might withdraw from or suspend talks if U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for Greek and Turkish Cypriots to continue negotiations after July 1. "Our expectation is to finish talks by July 1, with either agreement or disagreement," another Turkish Cypriot official told the Daily News.