Lock us up until we reach a Cyprus deal: Turkish Cypriot leader

The time for concentrated peace talks in Cyprus, where the parties to the solution should be locked up in a room and not allowed out until they reach an agreement, was needed, according to the president of Turkish Cyprus. 

Referring to the type of meeting implemented to choose a pope, the papal conclave, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Ak?nc? said he believed time was approaching for a similar exercise, but he admitted the Greek Cypriot administration was not yet sharing this opinion.

"You know how they choose the new pope? They all gather in one place and they do not go out until they choose one, [and then] you see smoke coming out," said Ak?nc?, adding a similar type of meeting was necessary to reach a final agreement.

Asked about the modalities of the meeting, Ak?nc?, who addressed students on Dec. 10 at Istanbul's Kadir Has University, said guarantor states would have to be present in that meeting as well.

Greece, Turkey and Britain are listed as guarantor powers under the Treaty of Guarantee signed in 1960.

There has been important progress on three main issues, namely governance, economic issues and the European Union, according to Ak?nc?. On the remaining three issues - properties, land and security - difficulties still remain, he said, adding the two sides needed to enter a period where they will have to sort out differences in a concentrated effort.

The island's Greek and Turkish communities have lived apart since Turkey invaded the north in 1974 after a Greek-inspired coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.

Talks conducted in Cyprus constitute the last effort of the older generations to find a solution based on a federation, said Ak?nc?. He underlined how young generations on both side of the...