Çavuşoğlu: “Greece needs to make effort”

Regarding Greece Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias’s statement that his country no longer want to be a guarantor country of Cyprus, Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu , said “for negotiations to begin in Cyprus and to reach a solution this year Greece should make effort.”

Upon a question of a journalist about how he considers the statement of Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias that Greece no longer wants to be a guarantor country related to Cyprus, Çavuşoğlu answered: “Turkey is a guarantor country in Cyprus and this has been confirmed by international conventions and treaties. For negotiations to restart in Cyprus and to reach a solution this year, Greece should make an effort. Greek side should encourage and Greece should play a positive role. Turkey, like in 2004 is standing by TRNC and is a step ahead of everyone for a solution, this is not an ambitious word, and we have proven this with all our statements and actions. This is something the whole world accepts. Greece should play a more positive role so that we can get a result from negotiations this year.”

Çavuşoğlu continued: “Let’s reach a solution together with 2 founding states in Cyprus. That is to say on the basis of the joint statement of 2 leaders in February 2013. After a solution on the island, after two communities start living together, and after they start using economic advantages of all natural gas and oil evenly, the situation will work out itself.”

Minister Çavuşoğlu emphasized that for negotiations to start again and to reach a solution on the island Turkey and Greece should approach positively on taking encouraging and confidence-building steps.

Upon being reminded that the leaders of Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus made a tripartite summit and negotiated the sharing of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, Çavuşoğlu said: “Without Turkey any restriction or step do not apply in the Eastern Mediterranean. We will not allow this. It is extremely clear.”