Protests in Cyprus interfere with U.N. secretary general Ban Ki-moon’s visit and hopes of discussing unity between the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots.

The New York Times reports that since 1974 the division of Cyprus has meant that the Turkish Cypriot minority maintained a small republic in the north, largely not recognized, while the majority, Greek Cypriot, is in charge of the  internationally recognized government in the capital.

Two Greek Cypriot newspapers, Phileleftheros and Simerini, reported on Tuesday that Greek Cypriots had protested after Mr. Ban visited the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, at his presidential office in northern Cyprus. The anger reflected Greek Cypriot sensitivities about diplomatic maneuvers that could be taken as tacit recognition of the Turkish Cypriot enclave, which the Greek Cypriot authorities do not recognize.

Four Greek Cypriot political groups announced boycotts of a reception given by Mr. Ban on Monday evening. He planned to leave Cyprus on Tuesday after this latest effort to energize settlement talks under way since 2008 — the most recent of many efforts, all inconclusive, to heal the island’s rift. There was no indication on Tuesday of a breakthrough.

Indeed, the Greek Cypriot protests showed the depths of ethnic and political hostilities that pre-dated the 1974 invasion but have become even more deeply entrenched since then.

After talks with Mr. Talat and the Greek Cypriot leader, Demetris Christofias, Mr. Ban urged both sides to display “even more courage and determination in the period ahead to bring these talks to a successful conclusion.”

Elections in April could mean the leadership of someone less likely to push for unity than Mr. Talat.