Christodoulides: Macron told Erdogan EU ties depend on Cyprus problem

Ankara’s wish to strengthen ties with the EU must go hand in hand with the Cyprus problem, French President Emmanel Macron has told Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, according to President Nikos Christodoulides.

“This is important because this is a message conveyed not only from our part, but from the EU as a whole,” Christodoulides said on Friday ahead of the informal European Council.

The President said Erdogan has asked for the EU-Turkey relations to be strengthened, citing the positive climate between Athens and Ankara.

Greece’s Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis was meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Athens on Friday.

Christodoulides said Macron’s response to Erdogan’s request was that “strengthening the EU-Turkish relations goes through the Cyprus problem. It goes through Turkey’s obligations to Cyprus.”

Asked to comment about his meeting a day earlier with Erdogan, the President said “it was an opportunity to convey my readiness to resume negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem.”

Deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told the state broadcaster that Nicosia was investing in Turkey’s wish to strengthen its relations with the EU, saying this could be built on in a mutually beneficial manner so as to benefit the Cyprus problem.