Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides had a brief tete-a-tete with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday in Tirana, on the sidelines of the 6th meeting of the European Political Community, a rarity given the complex political situation on the divided east Mediterranean island republic.
According to Cypriot media reports, Christodoulides reportedly told Erdogan that both leaders should sit down and discuss the Cyprus problem, which from the view of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus main comprises the continued occupation of 37% of the island by the Turkish military.
The same reports had Erdogan replying that he’s in favor of dialogue and interested in EU-Turkey ties.
Ankara, conversely, points to the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” as Christodoulides’ interlocutor. The former is recognized only by Turkey, the occupier of one-third of the island, an EU member-state.
The same reports came the Cypriot president including EU-Turkey relations, now that a special envoy has been appointed.
In statements before the opening of the summit, Christodoulides praised the importance of the European Political Community Summit, an initiative of the French President, given that it brings together the EU Member-States and the other European states, most of which want to become members, in order to have an open dialogue.
