Turkey’s denial casts a shadow on the talks
Cyprus negotiators in all-day meeting
Cyprus’ two chief negotiators are meeting all day on Tuesday to prepare the ground for Wednesday’s scheduled talks between President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ozil Nami are expected to assess the overall state of play in UN-brokered reunification talks.
The two leaders under -the guidance of UN envoy Espen Barth Eide – will decide on Wednesday the next steps to be taken now that the talks have reached a very crucial point.
Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides has not excluded the possibility of a new Cyprus Conference in Geneva with the participation of the island’s guarantors – Greece, Turkey and Britain.
The thorny issue of security and guarantees in a reunited, federal, EU-member Cyprus has come under the microscope along with that of EU freedoms for Turkish nationals.
The main obstacle is Turkey’s refusal to give up the right of intervention and demands that Turkish nationals enjoy all basic freedoms in a federal Cyprus –just like Greek nationals who are EU members.
The basic prerequisite for a Cyprus conference in Switzerland is thorough preparation of the ground work in Nicosia beforehand, Christodoulides said.
Cyprus is divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still maintains over 30,000 troops in the breakaway north.
Anastasiades and Tsipras discuss Cyprus talks
President Nicos Anastasiades had a telephone conference with Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras earlier on Tuesday, as announced by Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides.
Christodoulides posted a Tweet on Tuesday evening, informing the public that the Greek PM informed Anastasiades of the meeting he had with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Tsipras met with Guterres at the “Belt and Road” forum in Beijing, were the two men also discussed the Cyprus problem.
Anastasiades informed the Greek PM of the developments of the Cyprus Peace Talks and exchanged views on the matter.
