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Cyprus, Greece prepare for EU showdown on Turkey

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Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is visiting Cyprus Friday to coordinate strategy with Nicosia ahead of an EU leaders summit next week where possible Turkey sanctions are on the agenda.

Athens and Nicosia are on a diplomatic offensive to persuade their EU partners they need to take a tougher against Turkey for it challenging the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus.

Brussels said it could resort to sanctions if Turkey did nothing to de=escalate tensions in the region.

During his visit, Dendias will hold talks with the President Nicos Anastasiades, and Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, to coordinate action, in view of the EU Summit on 10-11 December.

The focus of the meeting in Nicosia will be the Cyprus issue and the EU-Turkey relations in the light of Ankara’s provocations in the region including its energy search and opening of fenced-off Varosha.

Discussions will be on the coordination of actions in the light of recent developments on the Cyprus issue, as well as relations between Brussels and Turkey after its actions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the Greek Foreign Ministry refutes Turkish media reports that Dendias is requesting  NATO membership for Cyprus

Greek diplomatic sources said that such a request was never raised by the Greek Foreign Minister.

Diplomatic sources said that during his speech at the Summit of NATO Foreign Ministers, Dendias stressed the need for NATO to cooperate with the European Union, which means equal cooperation with all the EU member-states, including Cyprus.