Turkey wants a solution

Turkey has the will to resume talks and reach a settlement of the Cyprus problem “very soon”, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Saturday, adding that he “fully appreciates” President Nicos Anastasiades’ decision to suspend his participation in the peace talks last October, after Turkey despatched its seismic vessel Barbaros into Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, the Cyprus Mail reports.

He was speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, after the conclusion of the third annual Greek-Turkish high-level cooperation council.

Despite avoiding any mention of the reason for Anastasiades’ withdrawal from the talks, Davutoglu linked the “desired settlement of the Cyprus problem” with energy cooperation between Greece and Turkey.

“Turkey’s will is to resume peace talks as soon as possible so that a settlement of the Cyprus problem can coincide with a settlement of the energy issues,” Davutoglu said.

The Turkish Premier noted that during talks with the Greek government in Athens, it was “accepted that both communities in Cyprus have a right to its energy sources, and unilateral action is best avoided.”

The joint communiqué issued by the two prime ministers on Saturday made no mention of Cyprus or the Cyprus problem, but declared that “Greece and Turkey aim to further strengthen their bilateral and regional cooperation in the field of energy.”

But in his own address after the summit, Samaras spoke of Greece’s “significant disagreements with Turkey”, stressing those relating to the Cyprus problem.

He added that in resolving these disputes, there must be “full respect of international law”, with the self-evident “respect to countries’ sovereign rights”.

Samaras said he fully supports the Cyprus government’s efforts to promote a settlement “under these circumstances” and under the auspices of the United Nations.

On Friday, Davutoglu called on Greece to help “solve together” the Cyprus problem, thereby strengthening trade relations between the two countries and exploiting energy reserves in the Aegean and South-eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish press reports, the Greek and Turkish premiers agreed on the need to work towards establishing a formula for the resumption of peace talks on the Cyprus problem.

Hurriyet reported on Saturday that the two agreed to delegate the task to their respective foreign ministers.

Sources cited by the Turkish daily said that the two sides will attempt to utilise the three-month hiatus in exploratory drilling in Cyprus waters after the current session is over – by December 25, at which time the Barbaros will return to Turkey – in order to agree on a plan to resume talks.

In another report, Sabah cited sources claiming that the Cyprus government will prepare a bill formalising the sharing of natural gas revenues between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.