Europe

Cyprus leaders meet in hopes of reunifying long-split island

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 photo, a UN soldier stands by an abandoned building inside the UN buffer zone, Green Line, that divided the Greek, south, and Turkish, north, Cypriots controlled areas in the divided capital Nicosia in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. After 19 months of talks aimed at reunifying the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south with the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, the final peace deal details are set to be thrashed out, potentially bringing some good news to a region wracked by conflict and distrust. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) (The Associated Press)

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, left, arrives with Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, right, for a new round of Cyprus peace talks at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci waves as he arrives for a new round of Cyprus peace talks at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

The rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus are meeting in Geneva for a summit aiming at reunifying the Mediterranean island.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Monday were kicking off three days of talks to clear up outstanding issues including the pivotal matter of how much territory each side will control in a federation.

The summit will culminate in a gathering of the island's so-called guarantors — Greece, Cyprus and Turkey — to tackle the difficult issue of post-settlement security arrangements.

Cyprus has been split since the summer of 1974, when Turkey sent in troops in the wake of a Greek-backed coup that aimed to unite the island with Greece. Following the invasion, the country was split along ethnic lines.