Talks about Cyprus

According to reports this week the u.n. organised three days of meetings in Geneva regarding the divided island of Cyprus, situated south of the coast of Turkey. The conference which was attended by Turkey, Greece and the uk followed a peace march by Turkish and Greek Cypriots in the capital, Nicosia. Cyprus is said to be the site of the u.n.’s longest running peace mission, beginning 1964, and despite a de facto ceasefire, ceasefire lines reportedly extend 180 km. Over 80 military personnel are said to be stationed in Cyprus. The mission was reportedly intensified in 1974 following a pro Greek coup.

According to documentation Cyprus was placed under uk administration under the Cyprus convention of 1878, a secret agreement between the uk and the Ottoman empire in return for uk support in the congress of Berlin, which concerned Turkey and the Balklands and aimed at keeping Istanbul within the arab empire. Macedonia and southern Bulgaria stayed too.

Cyprus was formally annexed by the u.k. in 1914. According to documentation, conflicts during the proceeding years resulted in independence in 1960, but there has since been a dispute between Turkey and Greek authorities. 1960 statistics to date show Greeks have made up nearly 80% of Cyprus residents. Reportedly they settled on the island during the second millenium bc. Greeks were thought to have settled in Egypt in 1630 bc. They were called hyksos or foreign kings by Egyptians, and may have been administrators for the Assyrian empire. Reportedly they left in 1523 bc and according to an ancient source settled in and around Gaza.

According to the u.n. the Geneva talks did not result in plans for further discussions. The dispute involving the three was said to have been intensified by the discovery of huge sources of natural gas off the Cypriot coast. The area has a history of similar discoveries. Reportedly exxonmobile have been assigned to the highly lucrative block 10. By whom not detailed.