Turkish Cypriot security ‘critical for Ankara’ says Cavusoglu
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu |
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that to secure a lasting Cyprus settlement, the security concerns of both sides would have to be taken into account but stressed that for Turkish Cypriots, Ankara’s role would be critical.
In an interview with Phileleftheros on Sunday, Cavusoglu said the issues of security and guarantees would be discussed at the end of the Cyprus negotiations in a five-party conference. He said he had not yet discussed such a move with his Greek counterpart, however.
“I do not want to suggest that Turkey will be very flexible on the issue of guarantees,” the Turkish foreign minister said. This would be discussed further with the Turkish Cypriots “whose security is critical for Turkey”, he added.
According to Phileleftheros, Cavusoglu avoided getting into discussion on any sort of formulas on guarantees, saying it was premature.
“Security and guarantees do concern us since Turkey is a guarantor power,” he said.
Cavusoglu also indicated that Ankara would help contribute financially to a solution, saying it was already supporting the Immovable Property Commission in the north. He added however that neither Greece nor Turkey were in a position to help finance a solution without the help of the international community, the World Bank and the IMF.
Source: CM
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