Cyprus to utilise EU ‘important references’ to Turkey’s obligations

The government will be utilising all references in the European Council conclusions on Cyprus, as well as regarding Turkey’s role and its obligations towards the Republic of Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides said early on Friday.

Speaking to the press after a night-long European Council session in Brussels, Christodoulides welcomed the reference on the need for the Council’s close cooperation with EU envoy on Cyprus Johannes Hahn.

“This was a goal we had set from the beginning, a goal that some considered utopia. Not only was he appointed, but we now have this specific reference to the need for the European Council to cooperate with Mr Hahn, who has already begun contacts with many EU member states,” Christodoulides pointed out.

Another “important reference” is the role of Turkey and its obligations towards Cyprus, as well as the reference to the fenced-off city of Famagusta.

“We will naturally utilise all this in the ongoing effort for the resumption of talks” on the Cyprus problem, he said.

Asked about remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who lamented that at present “the Greek Cypriot administration is placing obstacles in front of Turkey on the international stage”, Christodoulides said Turkey’s EU accession course was not brought up during discussions on enlargement at Thursday’s Council session.

He also said Fidan’s statements about two states in Cyprus were “very unfortunate”.

The only intervention on Turkey’s accession course was made by Christodoulides himself, the president said, in that “we want to see specific progress in EU-Turkey relations, if of course Turkey wishes for progress”.