UN envoy: No more 'taboo' issues in Cyprus peace talks

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Everything is up for discussion in an intensified phase of ongoing Cyprus peace talks, including "taboo" issues that rival leaders had previously opted to tackle at a later stage, a U.N. envoy said Wednesday.

Espen Barth Eide said it's the first time since he took over as peace talks facilitator two years ago that even the toughest issues will be discussed. Those issues include how much territory Greek and Turkish Cypriots will administer under an envisioned federation as well as military intervention rights Cyprus' existing constitution grants to Greece, Turkey and Britain.

Cyprus was split into a Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island after a coup aiming at union with Greece. Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot president of Cyprus' internationally recognized government, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have made steady progress since talks resumed in May 2015. But both leaders have said that key obstacles still remain.

"So far, we have said that certain things have to come later, and yes it's still true that certain things can only be concluded later," Eide told reporters after talks with Anastasiades. "But now we're in a phase where we can discuss everything."

Anastasiades and Akinci said they hope to make enough progress over their next six meetings to warrant a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after the General Assembly next month.

Most Greek Cypriots oppose any provision in a new peace accord that would extend similar military intervention rights to Turkey. Anastasiades said there can be no peace deal with any such military rights or a permanent Turkish troop presence. Turkey continues to maintain more than 35,000 troops in the north.

Akinci said Turkish Cypriots prefer an arrangement with some form of Turkish security guarantees remaining in place. However, both leaders said they would consider alternatives that wouldn't be perceived as a threat by either side.

The issue of how much territory either side will administer also goes to the heart of the key question of how many people who left homes and property during the invasion would be able to get them back. The knock-on effect of that decision will also determine the cost of compensating owners who may not be able to get their property back, estimated to be in the billions.

Eide said Turkey has given assurances of its continued support of the peace talks following concerns that last month's failed coup in the country could negatively impact the process. The U.N. envoy repeated that the coup served as a reminder that the window of opportunity for a Cyprus deal "may not remain open forever."