EU Commissioner Stefan Fule conveyed to Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, European Union’s concerns about the recent tensions in relations between Turkey and Cyprus.

EU Commissioner met Bagis on Wednesday in Brussels and according to a statement issued following the meeting, the Cyprus talks were also raised and both welcomed “the encouraging progress the Secretary-General of the United Nations reported during the recent meeting in New York on October 30 -31”.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. UN-backed talks began in September 2008 with a view to reaching a mutually agreed settlement to the Cyprus problem.

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu held their fourth meeting with UNSG in Long Island, New York on October 30-31, 2011, in the framework of efforts to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem.