Nicosia

Metin Münir has always been a liberal and a very libertarian writer. He was an editor for Hürriyet Daily News. I always considered him as a well-respected colleague and an elder brother with whom I enjoyed discussing local and international political topics. Although most of the time, particularly on the Cyprus issue, we had confronting views.

Despite a new push by the United Nations for progress in Cyprus peace talks ahead of a conference in the ski resort of Crans-Montana in Switzerland on Wednesday, the Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot sides appear to remain at loggerheads on the key issue of guarantees.

With the Geneva peace conference on Cyprus confirmed for June 28, Turkey's Energy Minister Berat Albayrak upped the ante with Nicosia on Friday, saying that Ankara intends to remain active with its research ships, not just within its own waters "but in those of Northern Cyprus" as well.

The largest land-based exercise between the National Guard and the Israeli special forces will take place in the coming days in several areas of the Troodos mountains, media reports said on Wednesday.

Greek and Turkish Cypriots hold hands on Saturday as they gathered across the Ledras main crossing point inside the United Nations bufferzone in the divided capital of Nicosia, urging rival leaders of the two communities to "Unite Cyprus Now." The gathering was held after United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide called off talks with the rival leaders, dashing hopes that a solution could be found

Dozens of Greek and Turkish Cypriots have linked arms across a U.N.-controlled buffer zone cutting across Nicosia to voice their support for a reunification agreement.

Soldiers hold framed portraits on coffins containing the identified remains of 17 Greek soldiers who were killed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, at a formal ceremony on Friday in Nicosia. The remains were to be flown back to Greece on a Hellenic Air Force transport aircraft. Most of the 17 soldiers were serving with the Greek military contingent on the island.

Defense Minister Panos Kammenos Friday denounced Turkey as "the beasts on the other side who murdered without even respecting the rules of war and continue to do so today."

Defense Minister Panos Kammenos visited Cyprus on Friday to attend a formal ceremony marking the handover of the remains of 17 Greek soldiers killed in 1974, when Turkey invaded the Mediterranean island.

The future of peace negotiations between rival ethnic leaders on Cyprus could depend on two separate meetings that Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will have on Thursday with the United Nations special envoy, Espen Barth Eide.