Turkish president doesn’t rule out Cyprus peace talks restart, but sticks to two-state stance

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hasn’t ruled out reviving deadlocked negotiations to resolve Cyprus’ nearly 50-year ethnic division. But on Thursday he again rejected any deal that wouldn’t offer Turkish Cypriots a state of their own in contradiction of a United Nations-sanctioned framework envisioning a federated island nation. Speaking in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north Thursday, Erdogan again poured cold water on Greek Cypriot hopes of cobbling together a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones as has been the aim of talks for decades. Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974 when Turkey invaded in the wake of a coup aiming at union with Greece. A 1983 Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence is recognized by no country other than Turkey.