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NICOSIA / AP
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Anastasiades countered that a “mere historical reference” in no way detracts from the goal of reunifying the island as a federation.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.