Cyprus has made it clear that it cannot discuss any proposal made by the Turkish side for meetings of the Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers in “the north and the south” of the island. Cyprus News Agency (CNA) requested the government’s reaction to the latest statement made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Greece, during a meeting with Evangelos Venizelos, for a joint meeting proposal with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades that includes meetings with the illegal authorities in the northern Turkish-occupied part of the island. The CNA correspondent in Ankara has learned that this proposal was made in the context of an earlier statement by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to visit “the north and the south” of the island along with his Greek counterpart. Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry have clarified that Cavusoglu’s proposal includes meetings of the Ministers of Greece and Turkey “to both the south and the north” of the island, upon President Nicos Anastasiades‘ return to Cyprus, as he is currently recovering from a recent heart operation in New York. “We do not take part in such meetings, Greece is not willing to participate in such meetings, these statements and moves are devious and we cannot accept them,” the government spokesman told CNA. He confirmed that Cavusoglu has called the Cypriot President earlier in the day to wish him a speedy recovery and send wishes on behalf of the Turkish President and the Turkish Prime Minister. “He told the President that he has discussed with his Greek counterpart about coming to the island but did not mention anything about meetings,” the spokesman pointed out. Turkey, whose troops occupy one third of Cyprus since they invaded the island in 1974, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004. Numerous rounds of UN-backed talks to reunite the island under a federal roof have failed to yield results. (source: CNA)
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