President Mehmet Ali Talat said the Cyprus issue could be settled under the auspices of the U.N and that the U.N Secretary-General was willing to take on a new initiative for restarting the Cyprus negotiations.

The E.U was not a side who could engage in efforts to settle the Cyprus issue and was not a neutral organization because the Greek Cypriot side was its member and the Turks were excluded, he said.

Following his meeting yesterday (31 October) with the U.N Secretary-General, President Talat said it was a useful meeting and the Turkish Cypriot side had presented its views, both written and orally, to Annan and reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side's determination to achieve a settlement on the basis of the Annan Plan and reunite the island.

He said he also requested that support for lifting the isolations continue and had observed that this was still supported by Annan. Continuing he said the view that lifting the isolations would contribute towards a settlement and ensure the island's reunification instead of division was once more reconfirmed.