The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will dine together in Nicosia’s U.N. buffer zone on April 2, the United Nations announced Monday, in their first meeting since reunification talks broke down last month.
The negotiations came to a standstill over a law in the Greek Cypriot part of the island that requires schools to commemorate an unofficial 1950 referendum that sought to unify Cyprus with Greece.
The last meeting between the two leaders ended sourly, as Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı claimed that his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades walked out âand slammed the door hard,â giving no assurances to Turkish Cypriots that he would denounce the law.
Before that, the two sides had reached broad agreement on most of the issues in the settlement deal except the toughest ones, including the security and guarantees system that gives Turkey, Greece and the U.K. the power to intervene to protect the island’s independence.
The island was divided after Turkey invaded in 1974. Anastasiadesâ Greek Cypriot government is now recognized around the world except in Turkey. Akıncıâs Turkish Cypriot government isnât recognized anywhere except in Turkey.
The U.N. mediates the reunification talks, which started in 2015, and will host the dinner.