NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Greece’s prime minister stated Monday that his authorities needs to take full benefit of a creating optimistic political local weather with neighboring Turkey in an effort to enhance bilateral relations regardless of a string of decades-old disputes.
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that doesn’t imply Turkey has “substantially changed” its stance on key variations between the 2 nations and must “decisively abandon its aggressive and unlawful conduct” in opposition to Greece’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey and Greece stay at odds over maritime boundaries within the japanese Mediterranean, a dispute that impacts irregular migration into the European Union, mineral rights and the projection of army energy.
Mitsotakis stated that he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan throughout a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12 to provoke new “lines of communication” and to take care of “a period of calm.”
High-level talks between the 2 nations are anticipated to happen within the Greek metropolis of Thessaloniki later this 12 months.
However, the Greek prime minister stated that Erdogan’s outreach to the EU can’t come on the expense of efforts to heal Cyprus’ almost half-century ethnic division.
Speaking after talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Mitsotakis stated that he advised Erdogan that improved European-Turkish ties can’t exclude a Cyprus peace accord and that the difficulty can’t be “left by the wayside.”
Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots have insisted on a two-state answer since July 2017 when the newest spherical of U.N.-facilitated peace talks collapsed.
That place overturned a long-standing settlement sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council in quite a few resolutions that any peace deal would purpose for a reunified Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish talking zones.
Cyprus was break up in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey acknowledges a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence within the island’s northern third, the place greater than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed.
On Friday, Turkish Cypriot chief Ersin Tatar repeated that peace talks may resume provided that Greek Cypriots acknowledge the Turkish Cypriots’ “sovereign equality.”
Christodoulides stated Monday that any enchancment in European-Turkish relations must be primarily based on reciprocal motion by Turkey, including that the EU prioritizes a Cyprus peace deal consistent with U.N. resolutions.
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