The Republic of Cyprus has already given a sample of its reaction concerning the country`s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), said on Monday the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, while responding to a question on potential fresh Turkish provocations offshore, following the launch of a third round of gas exploration licensing.
He also underlined that “first and foremost the Republic of Cyprus will need to signal its intention that it is willing to proceed with the opening” of new Turkish accession negotiation chapters.
In statements at the Presidential Palace, after the end of UN-led settlement talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, the President said that the issue of the new licensing round has been addressed by Akinci at today`s meeting, he didn’t however, get a response. The issue, the President underlined “concerns the Republic of Cyprus and the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus”.
He also expressed the view that Turkish reactions will not in any way affect talks.
Asked about the possibility of new provocations at the EEZ, the President noted that in case it is deemed that particular actions undermine Cyprus` sovereign rights, then “I think I have given a sample of how the Republic of Cyprus reacts”.
In October 2014 President Anastasiades had suspended his participation in settlement talks, following a Navigational Telex or NAVTEX, issued by Turkey, as Turkish seismic research vessel “Barbaros” had violated the Republic’s EEZ.
Concerning the discussion for the opening of Turkish accession negotiation chapters, during the recent EU-Turkey meeting that reached a deal on the migrant crisis, President Anastasiades said that he has told both President Tusk, as well as the European Council, that the matter “has been wrongly put at the negotiations` table, without the consent of the Republic of Cyprus”.
He was also asked to comment on recent remarks by Turkey`s EU Minister Volkan Bozkir, who said, among others, that the five chapters, frozen by Nicosia in 2009, will open for Turkey in the second half of 2016.
In his response, the President of Cyprus made clear that the rights of the Republic of Cyprus are a fact and that they will not be abandoned “whatever Mr. Bozkir says or anybody else wants to promise”. These are the rights of the Republic of Cyprus, a full EU member, he underlined.
Concerning today`s negotiations, the President said that he had a creative and constructive meeting, where a broad range of issues have been discussed, with regards to the topics where a common understanding has been reached. The discussion, he said was on the way these can be translated into convergences.
He added that, even in areas of common understanding, there are still problems. During the next meeting, he went on, the leaders will pose particular questions “in order to clear some things up and see where we are heading to”.
On the question of four basic liberties, the President said that both sides retained a common understanding on this issue “which tends to turn into a convergence”.
The next meetings have been scheduled for April 18 and 25 and for May 9, 2016.
Asked finally about the issue of halloumi cheese, which the Turkish side has raised, he noted that the Commission works on this and that “we are heading towards the right direction”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The latest UN-led effort to reunite the island under a federal roof began in May last year, with talks between Anastasiades and Akinci.
