Turkish PM to join Cyprus talks if substantial progress is made

ANKARA

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Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım will attend U.N.-led Cyprus talks in Geneva in the event that substantial progress is made between Turkish and Greek leaders, EU Minister Ömer Çelik has said. 

“Our prime minister will attend the guarantors’ meeting in the event Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and British Prime Minister Theresa May also attend,” Çelik told reporters on Jan. 11. 

However, before prime ministerial meetings, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will go to Geneva for initial talks, the minister said, underlining that Yıldırım’s attendance at the guarantors’ conference would be decided in line with progress made between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. 

Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders have been negotiating key aspects of the reunification deal since Jan 9. The two parties traded maps on Jan. 11 ahead of a conference that will also feature the three guarantor countries, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, for talks on the continuation of their guarantor rights on the island.