the columnist Loucas Charalambous said Cypriots were sick and tired of the subject. "The Cyprob will follow me to my grave," he moaned.

Ahead of next week's talks, likely to be the last for some months, there are lots of accusations. George Iacovou, chief aide to Christofias, says the Turkish Cypriots have "retrogressed" from commitments made by Mehmet Ali Talat, the north's social democrat former president. Talat lost power in 2010. His successor Eroglu is an unreconstructed hardliner, Iacovou claims. Additionally, the Denktash team have failed to give any census figures for the north's population. Turkish Cypriots are now a minority in their homeland, outnumbered by mainland settlers.

The Greek Cypriots charge that the other side is, in reality, working on a secret plan B. Under this scenario, once talksfail and in a blame-game scenario, North Nicosia will push for an "upgrade" of its status. The economic embargo will end, with some international recognition and enhanced EU ties. Turkey can only accede to the EU when it recognises the Republic of Cyprus. But for the moment this is a far-off possibility, with Ankara cooling on EU union in the face of French and German hostility and economic meltdown.

This week Osman Ertug, the Turkish Cypriot chief negotiator, denied there was any plan B. "We only have plan A," he insisted. He said that any settlement of the Cyprus issue could take place only on the basis of political equality between the two communities, with any new future state "comprising two constituent states of equal status". He defended the