Turkish Foreign Minister, Mehmet Cavusoglu, has asked his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias for Greece and Turkey to discuss issues affecting the Cyprus problem before any future resumption of negotiations.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest round of UN-backed negotiations, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended inconclusively at the beginning of July 2017.
Speaking during a journalists` briefing the Greek Foreign Minister described this as a “positive step”. Αs he said, such a discussion was something that the Greek side has already proposed in the past, in order for both parts to be better prepared.
Kotzias also announced that Turkish President, Recep Tayip Erdogan will pay an official visit to Greece, probably at the end of November or early December.
Regarding the issue his Turkish counterpart Cavusoglu raised concerning the presence of “Gulenists” in Greece, Kotzias noted that Athens is not willing to protect coup perpetrators, but that the Greek Judiciary is the only qualified institution to decide on the fate of asylum seekers from Turkey.