Cyprus Talks: Leaders travel to New York, Akinci hopeful of overcoming deadlock

Turkish Cypriot president Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades on Saturday departed Cyprus for New York to meet the the United Nations  Secretary General Antonio Guterres as both leaders of the divided Cyprus island seek to end the deadlock in the ongoing reunification talks.


Both leaders are expected to meet with Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York on Sunday to discuss the state of play in the UN-facilitated peace talks and the way forward.

Before departing Cyprus on Saturday, Akinci said he was going to New York in the hopes of overcoming the deadlock at the Cyprus talks.

“A meeting will take place tomorrow probably at the UN headquarters undoubtedly with the aim of opening the way for a Geneva summit” said Akıncı.

Speaking on the way to opening the path to a Geneva summit which does not include any preconditions, Akıncı said ‘there was a previously agreed foundation; we are going in line with this. 

"We continue to harvest our aim for a solution on the island and I hope that the Greek Cypriot side’s aim for its election does not preclude its aims for a solution”he said.

Akinci said the stance of the Turkish Cypriot side is to achieve result in New York adding that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are ready for a conference in Geneva.

“I hope the Greek Cypriot side and Greece are also ready for this. I hope I can give the news in New York that a Geneva summit will take place” said Akıncı.