NICOSIA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkey should make a good will gesture by withdrawing up to half of its troops stationed in northern Cyprus, Cyprus president Demetris Christofias said on Thursday.

    He made the remarks at the European Policy Center in Brussels, where he was attending a summit of European Union leaders, according to a Cyprus News Agency report.

    Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of the island following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

    Turkey maintains some 40,000 troops in the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Ankara. Turkish army in the north remains a key issue in the revived peace process aimed at reunifying the east Mediterranean island.

    Christofias told the audience that his vision for the future of Cyprus was "a vision for the reunification of the island and for a federal bi-zonal bi-communal Republic of Cyprus."

    He announced that he would meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat by late June and in July again, to discuss whether the substantive reunification talks could start soon.