Cyprus urges Turkey to drop two-state demand to advance EU bid

Cyprus said on Friday Turkey must drop its insistence on a two-state solution for the divided island if it hopes to make progress on its long-stalled bid to join the European Union.

Speaking in Berlin after talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Turkey's position on Cyprus was an obstacle to its EU ambitions. He also argued that Ankara should not gain access to the bloc's defense fund, known as SAFE, saying that Turkey - though a NATO member - has no defense or security agreement with the EU.

Merz said Christodoulides had sought Germany's support in efforts to break the deadlock over Cyprus, emphasizing Berlin’s strong relationship with Ankara.

"We discussed various options for how this could be achieved," Merz told a joint press conference.

"We discussed a very concrete proposal, which I received with interest, and that we could take a step in this direction during the Cypriot presidency. I expressed the German government's readiness to actively participate in this process."


Reuters