Improving Greek-Turkish relations helps Cyprus

Greece’s Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis dismissed as completely unfounded the criticism that the Cyprus issue has been put on the back burner to avoid disturbing the climate in warming Greco-Turkey relations.

He argued that improving Greek-Turkish relations can contribute to restarting negotiations for a Cyprus settlement.

In an interview with the Sunday edition of Greece’s “Proto Thema”, the minister was asked to comment on the criticism that Cyprus is being shelved.

And whether there can be full normalisation of Greek-Turkish relations without resolving the Cyprus issue.

Gerapetritis said the criticism is “completely unfounded…we are constantly communicating and cooperating with the Cypriot side”.

He said Greece “always raises the Cyprus issue in all international forums, and it is a subject of discussion in its talks with Turkey.”

Athens insists “on resolving the Cyprus problem within the framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federation, in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council”.

“Improvement of Greek-Turkish relations can contribute to the resumption of negotiations for finding a sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue”.

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.

The last round of negotiations, in July 2017, at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.