LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Dervis Eroglu said Wednesday he is pleased that the Cyprus peace talks will resume between his government and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Eroglu's remarks came a day after Espen Barth Eide, the UN secretary-general's special advisor, said that the talks would restart soon.
Eide added that Turkey and other concerned countries want a resolution to the dispute.
Eroglu welcomed Eide’s remarks and said that the Turkish side was ready to continue the negotiations without preconditions.
"The special advisor indicated that the Cypriot issue disturbs the European Union as well, and in general, the Cypriot issue cannot be maintained in the international community," Eroglu said in a written statement.
Stalled talks
Negotiations between the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot administration had resumed after a two-year pause in February 2013.
However, the Greek Cypriot administration suspended the talks over the divided island on Oct. 7, 2014 after Turkey sent a ship to monitor an oil-and-gas exploration mission off the coast of Cyprus.
Turkey later removed its exploration vessel from the seas around the island.
Cyprus has remained divided into Greek and Turkish parts since a Greek Cypriot coup to unite the island with Greece was followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the north in 1974.
