Turkish coffee breaks the ice between Cypriot leaders as they tour Nicosia

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish parts of Cyprus strolled through Nicosia on Saturday and drank Turkish coffee together, demonstrating their intent on improving relations on the divided island after the start of a new round of peace talks this month.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Mustafa Akıncı and his southern counterpart Nicos Anastasiades met in the late morning, visiting the historic Great Han – an old stone roadside inn built during the Ottoman era.

In a break from peace negotiations, Akıncı and Anastasiades were accompanied by the mayors of both sides of the divided city and attracted intense public attention. "We will work to find the earliest solution," Anastasiades said during his first visit to the northern part of the island since his 2013 election. "There should be a solution for the future of [our] two societies."

Akıncı added, "I would like to give a message of hope in Cyprus because all we need is hope after all the disappointments in the past."

Turkish Cypriot television reported crowds with positive spirits gathered near the leaders as they chatted in the divided capital. The sides started a fresh round of peace talks on May 15 and the next session is scheduled for Thursday. The two leaders will meet again on May 28.

Akıncı and Anastasiades met with U.N. Special Adviser for Cyprus Espen Barth Eide at the U.N.'s office on the island earlier this month to resume the peace negotiations that were halted last year. "I have high hopes for our prospects and the future," Anastasiades told reporters before the meeting. Following Akıncı's election victory, the peace talks aim at reaching a resolution in December. However, Turkish officials said that a permanent solution is likely to happen by September. After a four-hour meeting, reporters faced smiling faces and positive remarks from the Cypriot leaders. "They shared their vision for a united Cyprus," Eide told journalists. "In the prevailing climate of optimism, and encouraged by the momentum that is building across the island, the two leaders underscored their shared will to reach a comprehensive settlement."

In a sign of mutual commitment to peace, the two leaders agreed to work on a number of steps aimed at building confidence, Eide said. As a small first step, Anastasiades disclosed the coordinates of 28 minefields dotting a mountain range in the north. Akıncı announced that people crossing any of the seven north-south checkpoints along the U.N.-controlled buffer zone will no longer need to fill out a form, speeding up the process. Thousands of people cross daily through seven checkpoints along a buffer zone across the island. Dropping the visa forms is expected to ease bottlenecks at checkpoints.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç said there are expectations that "a fair, lasting and comprehensive" deal will be reached this year. "Our priority is a solution in which the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot side is guaranteed. We want this issue to be resolved as soon as possible within the U.N. framework of negotiations. We also expect 2015 to be the year of resolution because the U.N. has run negotiations like this several times before," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the resumption of talks between Greek and Turkish Cyprus in a statement. "[Ban] calls on the leaders to seize this opportunity to achieve tangible progress towards a comprehensive settlement that would clearly benefit both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots," the statement said.

Negotiations between Turkish and Greek Cyprus resumed in February 2013 after a two-year pause, but Greek Cyprus suspended negotiations after Turkey sent a hydrocarbon exploration vessel to Greek Cyprus' southern coast in October of last year. Turkey later recalled the ship back. Turkey is the only nation to recognize Turkish Cyprus while the majority of the international community recognizes Greek Cyprus, which is a member of the EU. Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987, but the Cyprus issue remains a major obstacle in Turkey's bid to join the 28-country bloc.