Cyprus asserted on Friday that Turkey must abandon its insistence on a two-state solution for the divided island if it hopes to advance its long-stalled bid to join the European Union.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated that Turkey’s position on Cyprus constitutes a significant obstacle to its EU aspirations. He emphasized that Ankara should not be granted access to the EU’s defense fund, noting that Turkey lacks a defense or security agreement with the bloc despite being a NATO member.
Merz indicated that Christodoulides sought Germany’s support in efforts to break the deadlock on Cyprus, underscoring Berlin’s strong relationship with Ankara. “We discussed several options for how to achieve this… We explored a very specific proposal, which I received with interest, and we can take a step in this direction during Cyprus’ presidency (of the bloc),” Merz stated at the same press conference. “I expressed the German government’s willingness to actively participate in this process.” Cyprus is slated to assume the rotating EU presidency in January.
There are no diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Turkey, which has been a candidate for EU membership for decades. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following a Greek-backed military coup and subsequent Turkish intervention. In 2004, Greek Cypriots rejected a UN plan to reunify the island.
Since the collapse of UN-sponsored reunification talks in Switzerland in July 2017, there have been no formal UN-mediated negotiations to resolve the Cyprus dispute. The island remains divided into an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north, recognized only by Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Thursday that a two-state solution is the most realistic option for resolving the Cyprus issue, a position rejected by Greek Cypriots. Christodoulides reiterated that if Ankara continues with its current position, it will be difficult to make progress.
