Turkish FM puts pressure on Greek side in Cyprus talks

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland - Anadolu Agency

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has criticized Greek Cypriots for not showing “good intentions and flexibility” in the reunification talks taking place in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana. 

“If there is to be a solution, we should decide this week, because this is the last conference,” Çavusoglu told reporters on July 4 after a meeting in Crans-Montana with representatives from the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides and those from the other two guarantor countries, Greece and the U.K.

“We have shown good intentions and flexibility but this should get a response. Unfortunately, we could not see any positive response from the other side. We have also seen the leaking of some confidential documents despite promises,” Çavuşoğlu said.

Çavuşoğlu said Ankara could not accept having “zero troops” in Cyprus.

Earlier in the day, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades had said, “Turkey should get in line.”

Çavuşoğlu called Anastasiades’ comments “arrogant.”
 
“What does ‘Turkey should get in line’ mean? Turkey has acted within the framework that the U.N. secretary-general has determined from the beginning. Those who have put forward nonsense proposals from the beginning [...] do not have the right to say ‘Turkey should get in line,’” he added. 

“The Turkish Cypriot side and the Turkish side follow the parameters that have been set by the secretary-general and we are working hard along those lines, and we hope the coming few days will be productive,” Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci said.

Earlier on July 4, Turkish Cypriot political parties called on the U.N. secretary-general to return to Crans-Montana in order to speed up reunification talks.

The four party representatives issued a joint statement inviting Antonio Guterres to return to the Swiss Alps, saying progress was slower in the second week of talks than in the first.

Çavuşoğlu also said Guterres should return to Crans-Montana regardless of progress.

Guterres left the Swiss resort on July 1 after participating in the Cyprus conference, along with Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders as well as representatives from the guarantor countries.
 
He is currently in Lisbon, Portugal and is expected to return to New York on July 6 evening. 

The latest round of Cyprus talks in Crans-Montana began on June 28. 

On July 3, the U.N. received proposals from the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides, as well as from Turkey, Greece and the U.K.

The U.N. is seeking a peace deal to unite Cyprus under a federal umbrella, which could also define the future of Europe’s relations with Turkey, a key player in the conflict.

The Eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island’s Turks and Ankara’s intervention as a guarantor power.