Speaking on November 11, following the release of the 135 page document, Mr Annan urged all parties concerned to decide whether the proposals could be adopted as a 'basis for negotiation'. Although Greece, the Greek Cypriot government, and the Turkish government all replied in the affirmative prior to the deadline, there had been no word from the Turkish Cypriot camp-until now.

In his response, Mr Denktash, currently suffering from ill health, accepted the plan as a basis for negotiation, but expressed objections to a number of the proposals, including those addressing territory, property, security, and the resettlement of Greek Cypriots in Turkish Cypriot territory.

According to reports, the UN Secretary General has called on both sides to present their official positions on the plan by November 30. However, as time draws on, the likelihood of reaching a deal before the EU's December 12 summit - when the current batch of pre-accession countries, including Cyprus, is likely to be officially asked to join the European body - becomes increasingly unlikely.