Cyprus talks temporarily suspended: UN

Talks aimed at ending the decades-old conflict on Cyprus have been temporarily suspended at the request of the two sides, but were expected to resume later on July 5, the United Nations said.

The negotiations began at the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana a week ago and have been billed as the best chance to end the island's 40-year division.   

But the talks, which are being headed by Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and his Greek Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades, were put on hold on early on July 5.

"The morning meetings have been postponed until late afternoon at the request of the two leaders to allow time for prep work and consultations," Aleem Siddique, spokesman for U.N. mediator Espen Barth Eide, told AFP in an email.

He said Eide would hold a series of bilateral meetings before talks resume at 6:00 pm local time.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops intervened in response to an Athens-inspired putsch seeking union with Greece.

Greece, Turkey and Britain, which are Cyprus's guarantor powers, also have delegations taking part in the talks in Switzerland.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week hailed the talks as "highly constructive", and urged the rival Cypriot sides to seize "a historic opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement to the conflict that has divided Cyprus for too many decades."

But the tone at the meetings has since appeared to sour over the tricky issue of security, with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias demanding on July 3 the withdrawal of Turkey's "occupying troops."

Ankara responded bluntly: "Our position on this issue will not change."
      
Turkey maintains more than 35...