The presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus is one of the issues  that will need to be resolved as part of a comprehensive settlement, Minister for Europe David Lidington has said.

In a written reply to MP Ian Paisley, Lidington noted that “myself and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discuss the settlement negotiations with our Turkish counterparts at every suitable opportunity”.

Lidington was replying to a question by Ian Paisley  who asked what recent discussions the Foreign Secretary had with Turkey on Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1973, when Turkeyn invaded and occupied its northern third.The two communities in Cyprus-the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot-have been engaged in UN-backed negotiations since 1974, with the aim to reunite the island under a federal roof.