Meeting in Geneva between Turkish and Greek leaders to resume Cyprus reunification talks

Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders gathered at the U.N. in Geneva on Monday in an attempt to resolve outstanding final issues that could see the island reunified after four decades of division. Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades met for several days of closed-door meetings in Switzerland under the auspices of the U.N.’s Cyprus envoy, Espen Barth Eide. The first day of negotiations will concentrate on issues including governance, property and security according to a Turkish Cypriot official. In remarks made before his departure for Geneva, Akıncı told reporters that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) would continue on its own way if a solution was not reached. Last week, Akıncı urged all parties to work with responsibility to reach a settlement. Reunification talks will be followed by a conference on Thursday. The Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders expected to be joined by the three other states involved in the process, guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the Geneva talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday. They agreed the upcoming negotiations could be an important opportunity in reaching a final settlement.