UN worried Turkey coup bid could hit Cyprus talks

The UN said on Thursday it was concerned that the failed coup attempt in Turkey could dampen prospects for Cyprus' peace process aimed at reunifying the divided Mediterranean island.

UN envoy Espen Barth Eide said however there was no evidence that Ankara had changed its supportive position on Cyprus negotiations in the wake of Friday's putsch.

"We have all been rather concerned about the recent developments in Turkey," Eide told reporters after meeting Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.

"I think there is a shared understanding that this is yet another example of the international environment not always developing in a favourable mood."

Eide said his team was monitoring events in Turkey closely.

"There is no sign as of right now that there is any change in the Turkish government's position which is consistently supportive of the talks," the Norwegian diplomat said.

Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will hold another session of peace negotiations on Friday.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Long-stalled UN-brokered peace talks, in what is seen as the last best chance to reunify Cyprus after four decades of division, were launched in May 2015.

Both sides have expressed the hope that a long elusive settlement can be reached this year.

Ankara does not recognise the Cyprus government and its failure to do so has hindered its own EU accession process.