Published Date:
11 November 2009
By Michele Kambas
BRITAIN has offered to hand over half of its sovereign territory in Cyprus to facilitate a peace deal between the island's estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots, the United Nations said yesterday.
"The offer would be conditional on a comprehensive agreement being agreed by the leaders of the two communities and then accepted by a majority of their populations and formally ratified by both sides," the UN said in a statement.
Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. The Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides re-started peace negotiations in September 2008.
Britain now retains 3 per cent of territory on Cyprus, a colony until 1960. The offer would be for a handover of 45 square miles, just under half of the 98 square miles that it now controls. The land is mostly used for British military facilities.
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Last Updated:
10 November 2009 10:20 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
