A United Nations envoy struggled to resolve differences between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders as they began talks yesterday in search of an elusive deal to unify Cyprus before it joins the European Union on May 1st.
Earlier, Turkey had indicated that it would be maintaining pressure on the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, to make a deal.
Mr Denktash has been seen by many, now apparently including his political patrons in Ankara, as the main obstacle to an agreement.
In unusually strong language underlining Turkey's new-found desire for a swift settlement, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Cypriots, whom Ankara has sponsored for three decades, would pay a high price if the talks failed.
"We have given a road map to Denktash. We will see how loyal he will be," the Anatolian state news agency quoted Mr Erdogan as saying.
The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, wants the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders to accept a tight timetable which envisages a reunification plan being put to the people of the island in a referendum on April 21st.
Asked what would happen if Mr Denktash, a longtime opponent of the UN blueprint, proved not to be "loyal", Mr Erdogan said: "Then the KKTC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) will pay a price for that. Think what will happen after May 1st."
In New York, meanwhile, veteran UN diplomat Mr Alvaro De Soto shuttled between the hotels in which the Cypriot President, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and Mr Denktash were staying to try to smooth the way for a meeting they were due to have with Mr Annan.
While each of the leaders predicted ahead of time that success would depend on the goodwill and commitment of the other side, Mr Annan, who is hosting the talks, warned them that balking at his conditions could derail the quest for a last-minute accord.
Mr Annan expressed the hope that the initial day of meetings in New York would lead to an agreement on the basis for subsequent talks in Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the north of the island after a Greek Cypriot coup backed by Athens.
Ankara has about 30,000 soldiers in the northern third of the island while Athens keeps fewer than 5,000 in the Greek Cypriot section in the south.