Parties’ mixed response to Christodoulides-Biden meeting
Cyprus’ two biggest parties welcomed on Thursday the developments surrounding President Nikos Christodoulides’ meeting with US President Joe Biden, with a varying degree of support.
Disy party leader Annita Demetriou said her party had built a path pointing to the west in the 10 years it governed the country.
“This is the only political path that sends clear messages to Turkey, prompting it to fulfil key domestic and international obligations.”
Her comments followed on from the former party leader and MP Averof Neophytou’s statements the previous day calling for Cyprus to join Nato.
“It is my firm position that we belong to the west and that for the security and stability of our country, Cyprus should join Nato,” he said.
“Any current possible difficulties in achieving this goal give us the opportunity to seek a further deepening of our relations and to propose a bilateral military alliance with the US.”
To this end, he said he welcomed the day’s meeting, and added, “by strengthening our relations with the US, we strengthen our homeland.”
Akel issued a statement, specifying the outcome of the meeting should be assessed based on its content and results.
“The interests of our country and our people are served by a foreign policy that develops mutually beneficial relations with all states of the world and especially with powerful states and the permanent members of the UN Security Council, including the US, which also has a role in the Cyprus problem.”
It added these relations should be based on respect for international law and the promotion of peace.
“They should not be developed at the expense of our relations with other states. They must not tie the country up to anyone’s wagon and must not turn our island into a war base.”
Demetriou added it was important for Cyprus to deepen its bilateral and multilateral ties and collaborations with western and EU partners, as well as regional allies.
“Cyprus should seek to strengthen and further promote its geostrategic role as a pillar of security and stability in the Middle East region. Together and in full cooperation with Greece we can achieve even more.”
The meeting also had press coverage in Turkey, with Hurriyet newspaper running the story under the headline ‘Biden meets with the Greek Cypriot leader: hosted him at the White House for the Greek Cypriot votes’.
It reported Biden invited Christodoulides in a bid to swing Greek Cypriot voters to vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Yenisafak headlined the piece with ‘Biden hosted Greek Cypriot leader Christodoulides’ mentioning that Biden met Christodoulides with a smile. During the meeting, Christodoulides ‘complained’ saying “my country has been under Turkish occupation for 50 years,” the publication reported.
Similarly Haber7 centred on Christodoulides going to the US and “complaining about Turkey” while Son Dakika ran the headline ‘Important messages in Biden and Christodoulides meeting.’
The website Haberler’ has the headline ‘Important meeting between Biden and Christodoulides on Cyprus and Gaza’.