Summary of Cyprus negotiations: UN Secretary to hold talks with leaders

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The president of the Republic of Cyprus has accused Turkey of insincerity in its rhetoric about the Cyprus conflict, but Turkey's president has defended his country's position. In a shift from previous positions, the leader of the Turkish entity in Northern Cyprus has said that Turkey is no longer insisting on formal recognition of its state through the UN.

• 00:00:00 The president of the Republic of Cyprus lashed out at Turkey's insistence on a two-state solution in Cyprus, but said he cannot live with the absurdity of Turkish rhetoric. In early week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had addressed the General Assembly, saying "we hope that the problems regarding maritime boundary delimitation will be resolved within the context of international law and good neighborly relations." These words incense the president of the Republic of Cyprus. President Erdogan also spoke of the need of maintaining good neighborly relations with Turkey, and asked which country had invaded and to date still occupy Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot side insists the solution lies in one island, one government, while the Turkish side envisions some kind of two-state solution with recognition of the Turkish entity but without formal recognition through the UN. However, in what could be a subtle shift, Turkish leader in Northern Cyprus told Al Jazeera that at this stage there is no longer an insistence on formal recognition through the UN.