UN chief urges Turkey to resolve conflicts

UN SECRETARY general Ban Ki-moon has praised Turkey's contributions to world peace, but encouraged the government to be more active in solving conflicts with Armenia and Cyprus.

Turkey promised not to ratify a deal to normalise ties with Armenia until Armenian forces were withdrawn from the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in Azerbaijan. On Cyprus, it insists on the lifting of what it calls an unofficial trade embargo on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in return for opening Turkey's ports to ships and planes from Cyprus.

"Let us build on your new diplomatic relations with Armenia," Mr Ban said yesterday in an address at Istanbul's Bogazici University. "And let us seize the opportunity in Cyprus. We should seize this moment."

Yesterday Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara was prepared to allow planes and ships from Cyprus to use its ports and airspace if the embargo was lifted, allowing Turkish Cypriots to trade through its ports of Kyrenia and Famagusta, and through Ercan airport in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia.