Greece, Cyprus slam ‘revisionist’ Turkish claims

Greece and Cyprus criticized Turkey’s “revisionist policy” and “absurdity” in its relations with the two countries during a meeting between the respective foreign ministers in Athens on Monday. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece will continue to support Cyprus in its effort to avert new faits accomplis in joint statements to the press with Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides.

“Turkish provocativeness does not intimidate Greece, which continues to defend the justice of its positions and internationally highlight the absurdity and illegality of Turkish demands,” he told the press while adding that “any regression from the Turkish side or attempt to create faits accomplis either in Greece or in Cyprus must meet with a European response”.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, Dendias reiterated that Greece continues to unequivocally support a solution based on UN Security Council resolutions, for the creation of a bizonal, bi-communal federation.

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“We are monitoring Turkey’s efforts to upgrade the pseudo-state internationally,” he said, adding that “the decisions of the UN Security Council on the status in Varosha are clear and do not need interpretation’.

On his side, Kasoulides said that Turkey is “putting all its weight behind securing an upgrading of the secessionist entity in the occupied territories, which has only been recognised by Turkey”.

He said a summit of Turkic-speaking countries will be held on Friday, where an effort is being made to accept the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island as an observer.

The two ministers also discussed developments in the wider region, welcoming the recent agreement between Israel and Lebanon on the delimitation of their respective maritime zones and noting that the negotiations between Cyprus and Lebanon on their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) are about to begin.