Northern Cyprus

A Togo-flagged boat reportedly full of weapons and explosives was seized by the Greek authorities off Turkey's western coast on Feb. 28.

As fresh water comes closer to Turkish Cyprus from the southern Turkish province of Mersin through the Northern Cyprus Water Supply project, a crisis which had erupted over which authority would manage the pipeline has still not been resolved. 

The details of discussions U.S. Vice President Joe Biden had during his Jan. 23 visit to Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and other top Turkish executives, as well as his talks with the Israeli and Greek Cypriot leaders, keep emerging.

Greece's defense minister has said he wants an agreement with neighboring Turkey that would allow the European Union's Frontex border agency to stop and turn back - within Turkish waters - boats carrying migrants to the Greek islands.

"It is said that the stars are allied for finding a solution on the island. But I really don't think it is these stars that are saying 'let's reach a solution.' The Turkish Cypriots have interests and plans.

Turkish Cyprus Parliament Speaker Sibel Siber has said that as a nation, Turkish Cypriots were backing peace and a resolution to the more than 40-year-old dispute on the divided island, where a peaceful solution is currently being sought with U.N.-brokered talks. 

Turkish Cypriot presidency has expressed its wish that the elections scheduled for May to elect Greek Cypriot administration will not harm the ongoing peace talks between the two sides. 

With the government's program of reforms, Turkey has a good chance of surpassing the "middle income trap," the new World Bank country director for Turkey Johannes Zutt told Anadolu Agency on Jan. 25.

Looking through the recent punditry on Cyprus, one inevitably feels a sense of déjà vu, as there appears to be nothing new regarding the age-old problem of the Eastern Mediterranean. So far, we have witnessed countless the best and the last hopes/chances before the inescapable train crash in the long, circuitous and problematic negotiation processes that predictably failed at the end.

The U.K. has lifted a block on the bank account of the Turkish Embassy to London, which had been imposed due to a previous court decision taken by Greek Cyprus, Turkish prime ministerial sources speaking on condition of anonymity have told state-run Anadolu Agency.