Mustafa Ak

The rival leaders of Cyprus attended a theatrical play on June 8 that implores the island's Greek- and Turkish-speaking communities to confront the wrongs of a tortured history to drive home their shared commitment for a reunification deal.

Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Ak?nc? left June 2 for New York City at the invitation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for their first meeting since April's presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

"The negotiation process has started intensively," said Ak?nc? to the press at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before departing for New York City.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreed May 28 to open further crossing points linking the two parts and to merge their electricity networks, a U.N. envoy has said. 

Two hot developments happened simultaneously concerning the eastern Mediterranean. One is from Cyprus, the other from Iraq. 

Don?t consider that what happens in Iraq is far away from the eastern Mediterranean? Syrian ports, the Persian Gulf and indeed Turkey?s Mediterranean shores are on the same ?strategic fault line.? 

Villagers in the Aegean town of Y?rca have planted olive trees in the place where more than 6,000 olive trees were felled for the construction of a coal power plant in late 2014 even though locals had stood guard to prevent the destruction.

Rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders took a stroll together on both sides of the divided capital's medieval center to raise the feel-good factor Rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders took a stroll together on both sides of the divided capital's medieval center, sharing snacks and drinks, to raise the feel-good factor as talks aimed at reunifying the split island kick into gear.

The two administrations on the divided island of Cyprus decided May 15 to remove visa requirements as a goodwill gesture amid ongoing negotiations over the island's future.

Visa applications will be lifted effective as of May 16 for people living on the island, said a statement issued on May 15 by the Interior Ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

U.N.-sponsored talks resumed on May 15 after an eight-month stalemate with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreeing to adopt confidence-building measures, in a new drive to settle the island's decades-old conflict. 

The leaders of divided Cyprus are scheduled to restart peace talks on May 15, following a three-side meeting with the United Nations' special envoy earlier this the week. 

Newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Ak?nc?, a moderate leftist who pledged to resume talks during his campaign, and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades held their first meeting on May 11. 

Mustafa Ak?nc? and Nikos Anastasiades, the leaders of the two communities of the divided Cyprus wined and dined at an occasion hosted by Espen Barth Eide, the special envoy of the UN secretary-general, and agreed to kick off the Cyprus talks wherever they were abandoned last October by the Greek Cypriot leadership.