A high-level EU Turkey meeting will take place before the end of October to discuss efforts to resume negotiations on the Cyprus problem, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Friday.
Speaking as he arrived for the second day of the European Council summit in Brussels, Christodoulides said he had been informed of the planned meeting on Thursday, following discussions involving the United Nations and European institutions.
He said the meeting would address two issues: efforts to resume talks on the Cyprus problem and possible progress in EU Turkey relations, which he said depended on the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework.
Christodoulides sees potential for progress
Christodoulides said the meeting followed a request from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with the aim of examining how conditions could be created for negotiations to restart.
He said the initiative could lead to positive developments, particularly following Guterres’ visit to Cyprus in July.
The president reiterated his support for a more active EU role in the Cyprus issue, saying this had been a priority since his government took office.
He also welcomed the appointment of European Commission Vice-President for Cohesion Raffaele Fitto as the Commission’s envoy on the Cyprus problem, describing it as evidence of the EU’s approach to the issue.
EU leaders urged Turkey to seize Cyprus momentum
In July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seize renewed momentum towards a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The appeal came during a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara.
Earlier that month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and EU representatives, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner, signed a joint declaration supporting Guterres’ efforts in Cyprus.
However, relations between the two sides have appeared to deteriorate since the summer, amid a series of incidents involving the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaderships.
These included a dispute over a briefing by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman’s undersecretary, Mehmet Dana, and efforts to cancel international events organised by the Turkish Cypriot community, including a children’s football camp involving FC Barcelona and a music festival in Kyrenia.
UN envoy warns window for talks is closing
Tensions have also surfaced over the participation of Turkish Cypriot officials in international events.
At the Cyprus Forum, Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci and other speakers withdrew after his title was changed to “leader of the Turkish Cypriot community in Nicosia”. The forum’s executive president, Nicolas Kyriakides, stated that officials had requested the change, saying the title of mayor was not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side.
The Republic of Cyprus’ permanent representation to the United Nations subsequently sent a letter urging foreign diplomats in New York not to meet Turkish Cypriots, according to the report.
The deterioration prompted UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin to warn that the favourable window of opportunity for progress was gradually closing.
She also cautioned that rising tensions in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean could have negative consequences for Cyprus, adding that the diplomatic space allowing dialogue to resume might not remain open indefinitely.
The planned EU Turkey meeting is expected to examine how conditions for renewed negotiations could be established, although no specific outcome has been announced.
Also read: Christodoulides presses EU on energy costs and Schengen
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
