Cyprus Talks: Peace talks at risk from possible 'crisis' - UN special envoy Espen Barth Eide

The United Nations special envoy to Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide has voiced his concern over the ongoing Cyprus Talks aimed at reunifying the ethnically divided Cyprus island. According to him, negotiations talks are at risk of collapse due to a possible "international crisis," amid tensions between the Greek Cypriot side and Turkey over oil and gas exploration off the Mediterranean.

"We may be looking forward to rather dramatic times" and urged everyone involved in peace talks to work to reduce tensions," said Espen Barth Eide.

According to him, the Greek Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish Cypriot president, Mustafa Akinci has done well in taking the negotiations farther than any of their predecessors over decades of failed attempts since it began two years ago.

"To see that go to waste because of an international crisis would be very sad for all of us," Eide told reporters after a meeting with Anastasiades on Thursday.

The Greek Cypriot president had earlier the week, said Turkey's "threats" to prevent oil and gas exploration off Cyprus coast could be designed to scuttle peace talks but on Thursday said Cyprus' hydrocarbons search "won't be affected by whichever threats."

"Nothing is changing the government's plans, which is exercising its sovereign rights inside its Exclusive Economic Zone," Anastasiades told reporters.

Moving forward with drilling would be best for Greek and Turkish Cypriots to get the soonest benefit from any oil and gas discoveries, he said.

Turkey has opposed what it calls a unilateral Greek Cypriot search for hydrocarbons, saying it ignores the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the island's mineral wealth.