Turkey wants a ‘lasting peace’ in Cyprus

NICOSIA - Anadolu Agency

EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with Turkish Cypriot leader Derviş Eroğlu. AA Photo

Turkey wants lasting, fair and sustainable peace in Cyprus, which protects the rights of the two peoples, EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said April 12.   

“We hope the peace process in Cyprus can take place under the roof and auspices of the United Nations,” Çavuşoğlu said during a panel on the Cyprus problem in Nicosia.

“The European Union can provide support, but given that the Greek Cypriot administration is part of the Union, it is not right that the EU should be at the [negotiation] table,” he added.

The Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders had previously announced in February, in a joint declaration, the unification of the island under a federation of two states.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has recently said it would not be possible to expect any so-called progress. “Progress is the fact that we are back in a dialogue, with a framework which we must all focus on, so that negotiations do not deviate from that framework.”

He said any impression given by Turkish Cypriot negotiators that the sides were at a bargaining stage were “false.” “I’m not saying this to accuse anyone, or to start the blame game ... I wish it were like that, but we are not there.”