Roundup: Turkish FM encouraged about prospects of a Cyprus solution

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday said he was encouraged about the prospects of a solution which will reunify Cyprus under the umbrella of a federal state.

"Turkey will do its part to reach a solution," Cavusoglu said after talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci during a brief visit to the occupied part of Cyprus.

Turkish troops occupied the northern one third of Cyprus's territory in 1974, reacting to a coup by officers of the military junta then ruling Greece.

Cavusoglu said he was satisfied with progress achieved in five months of negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Akinci.

"The stage the negotiations reached gives us hopes," said Cavusoglu.

He added Turkey had always been supportive of a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem.

"From now on, Turkey will be the staunchest supporter of the process for a settlement," he said.

As a member of the European Union, Cyprus holds a veto over Turkey's bid to join the block. Several of its negotiations chapters have been blocked as a result of Turkey's occupation of Cyprus and its policies which up to now have prevented a solution.

The Turkish foreign minister said that Turkey wants a solution which will be acceptable to the two sides within a specific timetable, because it does not want "this last chance" to be lost.

Turkey's assertions about a Cyprus solution will be come to test when the withdrawal of about 40,000 troops and the abrogation of its status as a guarantor power come up for discussion.

Cyprus has said that no solution is possible with even one Turkish soldier on its soil and with the 1960 system of international guarantees by Britain, Greece and Turkey in place.

Akinci said the Turkish Cypriots were seeking at the soonest possible a bi-zonal and bi-communal federal state, which will guarantee the political equality of his community. Endit