New York, United States. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the Cyprus problem in a telephone call late on Tuesday night. The call came ahead of Guterres’ meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman in New York on Wednesday.
Meetings scheduled in New York and Ankara
Erhurman and Guterres are expected to meet at 12.15pm local time, 7.15pm Cyprus time. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are expected to meet in Ankara at 4.15pm local time, 3.15pm Cyprus time.
Fidan comments on Turkey-EU relations and Greek Cypriot reservations
On Tuesday, Fidan said Erdogan could “raise the issue” of ways the Greek Cypriot side’s “reservations” regarding progress in relations between Turkey and the European Union could be lifted at the meeting with Mitsotakis.
Fidan told CNN Turk that he believes both Mitsotakis and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis have “the intention and the capacity to resolve these problems,” but said the “political climate” in Greece “does not allow for a conducive environment for resolving strategic issues.”
“They are constantly faced with a dilemma between resolving this historical issue and paying the political price,” he said.
EU commissioner links progress to Cyprus settlement talks
The comments followed remarks last week by European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who said she welcomes Turkey’s “engagement” in talks regarding the Cyprus problem after meeting Fidan in Ankara. She had earlier referred to an “opportunity” for Turkey to progress its process towards EU accession through Cyprus problem talks.
“We know that any progress is connected to bilateral relations, not just Cyprus, but also with the … new Cyprus settlement talks. It is now a big opportunity to continue,” Kos said, adding that “there really is more that connects the EU and Turkey than what is dividing us”.
Kos later said Turkey’s aim to be more deeply involved in Europe’s defence architecture would depend on the stances of EU member states, and said that “the new Cyprus settlement talks are a great opportunity for improvements in this area”.
Potential enlarged meeting and recent tripartite talks
Turkey’s next direct involvement in the Cyprus problem is likely to come at an enlarged meeting involving the island’s two sides, the UN, Turkey, and the island’s other two guarantor powers, Greece and the United Kingdom.
No date has been set for such a meeting. A tripartite meeting involving President Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin was held last month and ended without any agreements being reached.
What do you think would be needed for Cyprus settlement talks to produce concrete agreements?