28 September 2015, 03:21 GMT
NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Greece expects to move forward on the Cyprus issue with Turkey, and the atmosphere of the talks has improved, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said Friday.
"Cyprus is a major problem in the international sphere between Greece and Turkey. We need to solve this problem," Kotzias told RIA Novosti. "The atmosphere is better now than before."
"We have tried to open a window of opportunity to resolve our problems. I hope we will be able to do so. We must put an end to a situation where we are hostages of history," the minister added.
Cyprus has been divided into Turkish and Greek parts since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island following a pro-Greek coup. In the 1980s, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus unilaterally proclaimed its independence, and is currently only recognized by Turkey.
