The Cyprus negotiations are unlikely to resume before May because of the upcoming European Parliament elections, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said.
Speaking at a briefing to the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee, the Turkish Foreign Minister expressed the view that a new process in Cyprus aimed at solving the Cyprus Problem seemed unlikely, taking into account the fact that EU parliament elections were coming up.
Also touching upon the issue of hydrocarbons, Cavusoglu said that Turkey was not against drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and added: “We too are starting drilling off the coast of Cyprus. The stability of the region is important for us. We are following developments closely but the rights of the TRNC must be guaranteed and protected”.
Regarding Turkey’s EU membership process, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that both sides were working on the matter. “There is an effort by both sides. We are taking steps to strengthen relations”, he added.
BRT
