Nicosia, Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot side is ready for tangible steps forward in relations between the European Union and Turkey if substantive negotiations on the Cyprus issue resume following the next enlarged meeting, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday.
He said such a meeting must lead to substantive negotiations aimed at the definitive resolution of the Cyprus issue.
Conditions for progress
Letymbiotis said the Greek Cypriot side is prepared for progress in EU-Turkey relations if there is substantial movement on the Cyprus issue and an informal multilateral meeting is convened with an emphasis on substance.
He said the ultimate goal must be the resumption of substantive negotiations leading to a definitive settlement of the Cyprus issue, adding that the convening of a multilateral meeting is not an end in itself.
Contacts with EU leaders
He confirmed that President Nikos Christodoulides had held telephone calls with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after their meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday night.
EU position on Turkey
Letymbiotis said Turkish officials’ statements had made clear Ankara’s interest in relations between the European Union and Turkey.
He said the European Commission and the European Council had clearly communicated that the issues Turkey wants to advance in its relationship with the European Union are directly linked to progress on the Cyprus issue.
He added that Turkey’s obligations related to Cyprus are also European obligations and that progress on the matters raised by Turkey requires a constructive and decisive will from Ankara to advance the Cyprus issue.
According to Letymbiotis, this position is supported by all 27 EU member states and by the European Union’s institutions.
Response from Turkey
Asked about the Turkish government’s response, Letymbiotis said the understanding was that contact would continue at all levels.
He said Turkey appears interested in making progress and added that messages delivered at last week’s meeting involving EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and two commissioners, as well as by Costa and von der Leyen, along with the European Council conclusions and the joint letter, had made the EU position clear.
