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Turkish Cypriot Leader Leaves Meeting at Peace Talks

by Associated Press

   NICOSIA, CYPRUS --

   The leader of ethnically divided Cyprus' breakaway Turkish Cypriots has
   walked out of a meeting with the Greek Cypriot president amid ongoing
   reunification talks.
   It's unclear why Mustafa Akinci left Thursday's meeting with Nicos
   Anastasiades and what this means to the months-long peace process.
   Tensions have been high this week following strong Turkish Cypriot
   protests against the annual commemoration in Greek Cypriot schools of a
   1950 vote for union with Greece.
   Akinci decried new legislation making the commemoration compulsory and
   warned that it threatened peace talks.
   Anastasiades countered that a "mere historical reference" in no way
   detracts from the goal of reunifying the island as a federation.
   Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters
   of union with Greece.