Ersin Tatar

Chances of restarting formal talks to mend Cyprus' decades-long ethnic division appeared dimmer Wednesday as the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots told a UN envoy that he saw no common ground with Greek Cypriots for a return to negotiations.

Northern Cyprus will not sit at any negotiating table unless their sovereignty and equal status is recognized, Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar has told AFP.

Greek-Turkish relations are going through a positive period, but it remains to be seen how long this can last, according to a high-ranking Turkish diplomat who spoke to Kathimerini at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday.

Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar announced on Thursday he is transferring control of the Gecitkale air base in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus to the Turkish Army to serve as a deployment hub for unmanned aircraft.

In a televised interview with the 24TV network, Tatar said the "parliament" of the entity, which is only recognized by Ankara, approved the move.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday named a former Colombian foreign minister as his personal envoy to scope out the chances of reviving talks to resolve Cyprus' ethnic divide, an issue that has defied international diplomacy for nearly five decades.

Turkish Cyprus is marking the 40th anniversary of its foundation on Nov. 15 with various ceremonies and events across the country, as delegations from Türkiye and Azerbaijan also participate in the celebrations on the island.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the arson attack on a mosque in Limassol in Greek Cyprus, citing the incident as another example of the growing Islamophobia across Europe.

Nicosia reiterated on Thursday that it will not stand for any moves that cast doubt on the status of the UN-controlled buffer zone through which the Turkish Cypriots illegally tried to build a road last week and physically assaulted international peacekeepers who tried to obstruct them.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Saturday described as "essential" the construction of a road which has triggered rare tension with United Nations peacekeepers on the divided island.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Ersin Tatar, the leader of the island's Turkish Cypriot community, have jointly appealed for information that could lead to the buried remains of people who vanished amid violence and war decades ago, a task with increasing urgency as eyewitnesses die.