Mitsotakis discussed Cyprus issue at meeting with Erdogan

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that talks on Cyprus need to be resumed.

The Greek government's press service reported this, stating in a statement:

“The Prime Minister touched upon the Cyprus issue, stressing that 50 years after the tragedy of 1974, Cyprus, which is a member of EUcannot remain divided, and reaffirmed the need to resume negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem.”

The statement clarified that during the meeting, the leaders of the two states discussed issues of international and regional interest, with an emphasis on the latest events in the Middle East and Ukraine:

“The two leaders briefly reviewed bilateral relations since their last meeting in Ankara last May. The Prime Minister welcomed cooperation with Turkish authorities in combating illegal migration. The two leaders agreed that maintaining a calm atmosphere in bilateral relations is mutually beneficial. They also agreed to intensify cooperation with the aim of doubling bilateral trade.”

The next meeting, which will take place in New York, within the framework of the UN General Assembly, in September, was also discussed.

Since 1974, Cyprus has been de facto divided between the Greek and Turkish communities following an armed invasion by Turkey, which was provoked by a coup d'état in Cyprus and an attempt to annex the island to Greece, RIA Novosti recalls. 37% of the island's territory, where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was proclaimed in 1983, was occupied. Only Turkey recognized the TRNC. UN-mediated talks between the Greek and Turkish communities on the reunification of Cyprus were interrupted after the failure of the latest round, which took place in the Swiss city of Crans-Montana in 2017. Attempts are currently being made to resume negotiations.

Greek Cypriots believe that the problem can only be resolved through UN decisions within the framework of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. Turkish Cypriots advocated a confederation of Cyprus. The leader of the Turkish community, Ersin Tatar, said that he would not return to the negotiating table until the equal sovereignty and international status of Turkish Cypriots was recognized.

The Greek prime minister and the Turkish president are expected to be in Nicosia on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish army's invasion on July 20, 1974. But they will be on opposite sides of the Green Line, which divides Nicosia into two parts.

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