‘Negotiations to settle Cyprus's division are starting to show some progress , Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said in an upbeat assessment on ending one of Europe's most enduring conflicts. Mr Anastasiades, who represents the Greek Cypriot community in reunification talks with Turkish Cypriots, said some ‘convergences’ had started to appear in negotiations on specific topics under discussion. Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island's north after a brief Greek-inspired coup, though the seeds of partition were sown soon after independence from Britain in 1960. ‘A degree of progress is being achieved. If we continue at this rate I believe that soon we can start to speak of significant progress,’ he said.