The President of the Republic spoke by phone this morning with both the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, to discuss last night’s dinner they had with the Turkish President and the Turkish Foreign Minister, Government Spokesperson Mr. Konstantinos Letympiotis said today.

It is now well known—as is evident from the statements of Turkish officials themselves—that Turkey is showing interest in European Union-Turkey relations. The position that has been clearly communicated by the European Commission and the European Council is that the issues of Turkey is interested in and wishes to see progress in its relations with the European Union are directly linked to progress on the Cyprus issue. Turkey’s obligations regarding Cyprus are European obligations, and for progress to be made on these issues raised by Turkey, it must demonstrate a constructive willingness, and a firm commitment on Turkey’s part to making progress on the Cyprus issue.

This is the position of the European Union; this is the position we are communicating; and this is the position that the 27 member states and, of course, the European Union institutions have endorsed and supported from the very beginning.”

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When asked what the response was from Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Fidan, the Spokesperson said that “What has become clear is that this engagement between the European Union and Turkey will continue at all levels. It appears that Turkey is interested in making progress on the issues—and we know very well which chapters these are— but I believe that the clarity of the messages—not only from last week’s meeting between the High Representative and the two Commissioners, but even more so from the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the European Council Conclusions, the statements and the joint letter from the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council—this message has now become crystal clear.

What is also important is the close support and cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations. The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission have made clear the European Union’s support and willingness and the European Union’s intention to assist the United Nations Secretary-General in his efforts. We have seen this in the joint statement they issued this morning, as well as from the United Nations Secretary-General himself and his personal envoy, who have emphasized the importance they attach to the role the European Union can play, always in support of the Secretary-General’s efforts.”

When asked whether Mr. Erdoğan believes he can take any steps regarding the Cyprus issue or whether he is waiting for the European Union to make the first move in order to change his stance, the Spokesperson said, “I cannot speak on behalf of Mr. Erdoğan; what I can tell you is that if this were indeed the case, if Turkey truly wants to see progress on the issues it raises—given the emphasis, intensity, and frequency with which it raises them—there must first be progress on the Cyprus issue.”

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When asked whether Turkey’s support for the Guterres initiative had been reaffirmed—as noted in the joint statement by Ms. Kaya and Mr. Fidan—the Spokesperson said that “there is also a recorded joint statement by the Turkish Foreign Minister—as you have correctly noted—with the High Representative and the two Commissioners, in which support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General is expressed. However, this must be demonstrated in practice. This rhetorical stance must be translated into a substantive commitment, and this will be demonstrated through the convening of an informal multilateral meeting. As we have said before, it is Turkey that is expected to set aside its own intransigence by convening an informal multilateral meeting under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, which would result in the announcement of the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework.”

When asked whether this is a sufficient reason for Nicosia to lift its own objections regarding Turkey’s demands, the Spokesperson said that “EU-Turkey relations—and their interconnection with the Cyprus issue—are now defined within a very specific framework, a framework that President Christodoulides himself has been systematically working on since the very moment he took office.

This framework, which has now been adopted unanimously by the 27 leaders of the member states, is a gradual, proportional, and reversible approach to advancing relations between the European Union and Turkey in tandem with progress on the Cyprus issue.

If and when we see substantial progress on the Cyprus issue, the convening of an informal multilateral meeting—with an emphasis on substance—is not an end in itself; convening a multilateral meeting simply for the sake of convening one—which will lead to the resumption of substantive negotiations, with the ultimate goal, of course, being the definitive resolution of the Cyprus issue—in that regard, yes, we are ready—we have said so publicly, and the President of the Republic himself has said so—to take concrete steps toward progress in EU-Turkey relations.”

Regarding the meeting between the President of the Republic and the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and when asked whether any requests had been made of the Republic of Cyprus, the Spokesperson said that “Relations between the Republic of Cyprus and Lebanon, particularly in recent years, are at their closest point ever, especially since President Aoun assumed the presidency. Cyprus has consistently stood by Lebanon, especially during this period, through all the forums in which we participate, whether that be the EU or at the UN level. We have taken the lead in ensuring security and stability in Lebanon. As part of this ongoing engagement and assistance—including the financial support through which the Republic of Cyprus has demonstrated in practice our support for our neighboring country— to a very close partner, Lebanon—this meeting took place within the framework of these regular contacts. Both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Republic were briefed by the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs on the situation in the country. We have also conveyed the message that, wherever and to the extent that our capabilities allow, our priority is regional security, a decisive factor in which is, of course, the security and stability of Lebanon.”