President Christodoulides, held phone calls with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, with the discussion focusing on the dinner they had on Wednesday evening with the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday.
In statements at the Presidential Palace Letymbiotis said that ‘the position that has been clearly communicated by the European Commission and the European Council is that the issues which are of interest to Turkey and on which it wishes to see progress in its relations with the European Union, are directly related to progress on the Cyprus issue.’
He also said that ‘this is evident from the statements of Turkish officials themselves, as well as from the interest Turkey shows in EU-Turkey relations,’ adding that in order for progress to be made on these issues, Turkey must demonstrate a constructive and resolute commitment to progress on the Cyprus issue. ‘This is the European Union’s position; this is the position we are communicating. This is the position that the twenty-seven member states and, of course, the European Union institutions have been communicating and supporting from the very beginning,’ he added.
Asked about the Turkish President’s response Letymbiotis said that ‘what has become clear through our contact and communication is that this engagement between the European Union and Turkey will continue at all levels.’
He added that it appears Turkey is interested in making progress on these chapters that we know very well. He noted that ‘through the clarity of the messages, including those from last week’s meeting with the High Representative and the two Commissioners, but even more so from the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the conclusions of the European Council, the statements, and the joint letter from the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, this message has now become clear.’
Letymbiotis highlighted the great importance of the close support and cooperation of the European Union and the United Nations. ‘The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission have made clear the European Union’s unequivocal support and willingness-its intention-to assist the United Nations Secretary-General in his efforts,’ he said.
According to his statements, this is also evident from the joint statement issued this morning, as well as from the United Nations Secretary-General himself and his personal envoy, regarding the importance they attach to the role the European Union can play-always in support of the Secretary-General’s efforts.
When asked whether the Turkish President expects the European Union to make the first move in order to change Ankara’s stance, the Government Spokesperson replied that ‘I cannot speak to Mr. Erdogan’s position,’ adding, however, that ‘if Erdogan, if Turkey, truly wants to see progress on the issues hd raises-given the emphasis, intensity, and frequency with which he raises them-there must first be progress on the Cyprus issue.’
When asked whether Turkey had reaffirmed its support for the Guterres initiative, as noted in the joint communiqué from the meeting with Fidan, Letymbiotis referred to ‘the recorded joint statement by the Turkish Foreign Minister, the High Representative, and the two Commissioners, which expresses support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General.’ He added that this would become evident in practice.
As he said, ‘the rhetorical stance must be translated into substantive intent, and this will be demonstrated through the convening of an informal multilateral meeting.’
He reiterated that ‘the party expected to concede, to set aside its own intransigence is Turkey, in convening an informal multilateral meeting under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, which will result in the announcement of the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework.’
When asked whether this is a sufficient reason for Nicosia to withdraw its own objections regarding Turkey’s demands, Letymbiotis replied that the relationship between the European Union -Turkey and the link to the Cyprus issue, as we have said many times, are now defined within a very specific framework, on which ‘President Christodoulides himself has been working systematically from the very moment he took office.’
He added that ‘this framework, which has now been unanimously adopted by the 27 leaders of the member states, is a gradual, proportional, and reversible approach to progress-ensuring that progress in EU-Turkey relations goes hand in hand with progress on the Cyprus issue.’
He also stressed that ‘the purpose of a multilateral meeting is not an end in itself simply for the sake of convening a multilateral meeting, but rather one that will lead to the resumption of substantive negotiations, with the ultimate goal, of course, being the definitive resolution of the Cyprus issue.’
‘We are ready. We have said this publicly, and the President of the Republic himself has said it, concrete steps must be taken to the progress between the European Union and Turkey relations,’ he added.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format that was expected to take place before the end of 2025, is yet to be announced. María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.