Letymbiotis says Turkey must ‘demonstrate constructive disposition’ on Cyprus

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis on Thursday said that only Turkey must demonstrate that it intends to be constructive with regard to the next steps to be taken on the Cyprus problem. “Consultations are taking place both behind the scenes and in public. They are ongoing, they are happening under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General [Antonio Guterres] himself,” he said. He added that “what remains, the only party which must demonstrate a constructive disposition, a constructive will for progress to be made on the Cyprus problem, is certainly occupying Turkey”. On this front, then made reference to the joint declaration signed by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, and Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, declaring support for Guterres’ efforts, and UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin’s statements on the Cyprus problem. “We welcome the fact that [Holguin] also recognises the role that the European Union can play in this effort … and this just one day after the joint declaration … Therefore, this is of particular, exceptional importance, taking into account the timing of both of these statements,” he said. He then pointed out that Holguin had said that Guterres “remains fully committed” to the effort to bring about a resumption of negotiations in earnest on the Cyprus problem, and stressed that the Greek Cypriot side is “in constant consultation with all parties, the UN, and the EU”. To this end, he said that at next week’s Nato leaders’ summit in Ankara, there will be “an opportunity … for important contacts”, highlighting the fact that it will be attended by European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Guterres. In addition, the summit will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and attended by the leaders of Cyprus’ other two guarantor powers, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. “For us, the goal remains unchanged, namely to contribute in every possible way to the convening of this informal multilateral meeting this summer, as Holguin stated herself during her last visit to Cyprus,” he said. He also stressed that that conference, commonly referred to as an enlarged meeting, which will involve the island’s two sides, its three guarantor powers, and the UN, “should have as its goal the announcement of the resumption of negotiations with a view to the definitive resolution of the Cyprus problem”. “We do not want an informal multilateral conference as an end in and of itself. We want an informal multilateral conference in which we will discuss the essence of the Cyprus problem,” he said, adding that this “should be clear”. Returning to the matter of Turkey, he said that “the only party which should, and we expect, to demonstrate this constructive attitude, especially since it demands improvement and progress in its relations with the EU … is Turkey”. Turkey, he said, has been “ignoring and bypassing the fact that it cannot” achieve better relations with Europe “while illegally occupying the territory of an EU member state”. “If there is sincere political will, if there is intention on Turkey’s part, the informal multilateral conference can and must be convened. Our own actions continue as usual, with the aim of convening the multilateral conference at the end of July or the beginning of August, whenever this can be practically arranged,” he said. On the scheduling of the meeting, he said that “we have no information about any differentiation” from the original plan to hold it either towards the end of this month or at the beginning of next month.