THE Turkish Foreign Minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, called yesterday for the resumption of direct peace talks between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots after ethnic violence in which two people were killed.
During a visit to the Turkish sector of Nicosia, Ms Ciller called on the UN Secretary General, Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali, "to organise a meeting between the two Cypriot leaders," President Glafcos Clerides and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash.
"A settlement to the Cyprus problem cannot be found without talks between the two communities," she said. "Peace needs courage, and let's be courageous and set up peace . . . We are definitely for peace but will not tolerate border violations and Jails accomplis."
Mr Clerides and Mr Denktash have not met for direct talks since 1994. However, the UN representative in Cyprus, Mr Gustave Feissel, held urgent meetings with both men yesterday, warning them that there could be no repetition of this week's violence.
Ms filler's visit coincided with the arrival of the new commander of the 35,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus, Lieut Gen Ali Yalcin. Turkish Cypriot forces on Wednesday shot dead a Greek Cypriot in the latest outbreak of violence along the UN patrolled buffer zone dividing the island.
Mr Solomos Spyros Solomou was shot after he broke through barbed wire on the edge of the Turkish Cypriot zone at Dherinia and tried to tear down a Turkish flag.
Another Greek Cypriot was beaten to death by Turkish Cypriot counter demonstrators three days earlier at the same spot.
"We feel sorry for the death of the two people ... But we won't allow desecration of the flag," Ms Ciller said.
Mr Denktash accused the Greek Cypriot leadership of provoking the protests and allowing the demonstrators to enter the buffer zone.
A seven year political crisis in Turkish occupied northern Cyprus ended yesterday when two right wing parties agreed to set up a coalition government. Mr Dervis Eroglu, leader of the National Unity Party, will become prime minister in the new government formed with the Democratic Party of Mr Serdar Denktash, son of Mr Rauf Denktash.
Cypriot police and UN soldiers have been placed on red alert for today's funeral of Mr Solomou. President Clerides warned that any future demonstrations could lead to a military confrontation that the Greek Cypriots could not win, and he appealed for "calm and self restraint."
Thousands of mourners, including political and church leaders, are expected at the funeral in Paralimni just 5km (three miles) from the "Green Line" dividing the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
The Greek Prime Minister, Mr Costas Simitis, was to have attended the funeral during his visit to Cyprus tomorrow, but the ceremony was moved to this evening.
Tension has been increased by television slow motion replays of the killings, and by the nationalist sentiments expressed by Archbishop Chrysostomos, who has said: "Hellenism is not afraid of death when it's a matter of freedom."