Cyprus' legitimate government that's a member of the European Union would take part in potential talks at the United Nations with the occupying Turkish-Cypriot side, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Christodoulides said.

It wasn't said what the conditions would be after Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said he wouldn't discuss demands from Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for the UN to recognize the occupied northern third of the island.

Turkey seized the territory during two unlawful invasions in 1974 and still keeps a 35,000-strong standing army there and said it would never be removed, which scuttled July, 2017 reunification talks at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.

Tatar, following the line of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who got him elected in October, 2020, said he's given up on trying to bring the island back together and wants only two states now.

That would bring recognition to the isolated, occupied side that only Turkey accepts, leaving Turkish-Cypriots on their own for 47 years and counting, as Anastasiades said he would agree to talk about permanent partition.

On whether there would be a meeting with Antonio Guterres in New York late next month, Christodoulides said the government has conveyed to the UN chief that such a meeting was needed “and we hope that it will lead to positive results, thus the resumption of the talks,” the Cyprus Mail said.