Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit occupied northern Cyprus on 20 April, amid heightened Turkish threats against the Republic of Cyprus over its gas and oil exploration programme.

He will hold talks with Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

The trip was announced just days after a meeting between Cyprus’ President Nikis Anastasiadis and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, where the two sides reportedly had agreed that several steps are required to jump-start stalled Cyprus settlement talks, including the prospect of a new UN Secretary General special representative for Cyprus.

Akinci proposed the establishment of a joint Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot committee to manage the islands hydrocarbons exploration programme, which Anastasiadis has rejected out of hand.

The Republic of Cyprus is the sole legitimate, internationally recognised authority on the island

Turkey has announced that it plans to begin its own gas exploration in the Republic of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, which is illegal under international law.

To that end, Ankara intends to send the exploration vessel Barbaros for an exploration mission off of the Karpas peninsula, the Turkish-occupied northeastern tip of the island.

Anastasiadis has made clear that Cyprus settlement talks cannot take place amidst hostile Turkish actions and threats in Cyprus’ EEZ.

 

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