Cyprus president says "no alternative" to full-fledged talks to reunify divided island

Cyprus' Greek Cypriot president said Tuesday there is "no alternative" to full-fledged negotiations to reunify the ethnically divided island. Dimitris Christofias said he has no Plan B other than starting face-to-face reunification talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Cyprus has been split into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south since 1974, when Turkey invaded after an abortive coup that aimed to unite the island with Greece. "The goal is that negotiations finally take place," Christofias told a news conference. "There is no alternative proposal from us at least, and I want to believe, as Mr. Talat has assured me, there is no alternative proposal on his part." Reunification talks had been deadlocked since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected and Turkish... [read full story]