If Turkey wishes to participate in regional partnerships, it must respect international law and resolve the Cyprus issue, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.
The President was invited by the press, upon his arrival at the inauguration ceremony of a Health Center in Akaki village, in Nicosia district, to comment on statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He said that the Republic of Cyprus and all countries in the region are working on the basis of a positive approach, without excluding anyone who respects international law. ‘Therefore, if Mr. Fidan wishes for his country to take part in these initiatives, all he has to do is to respect the international law and, within this framework, move forward with resolving the Cyprus issue,’ he noted, adding that ‘Turkey is excluding itself through its own daily behavior.’
Asked whether he would seek a meeting with the new Turkish Cypriot leader after the ‘elections’ in the Turkish occupied areas of the island, the President replied, ‘yes, I will request on the very same evening a meeting, with whoever is elected’.
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.