Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan met with the occupied areas’ so-called ‘Republican Assembly Speaker’ Sibel Siber in Istanbul on Christmas Day, according to an official tweet.
Siber’s visit to Turkey comes before the occupied areas’ so-called ‘Foreign Minister’ Tahsin Ertugruloglu planned visit to hold talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from December 27-28.
According to an official statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Cavusoglu will “exchange views on the negotiation process regarding the settlement of the Cyprus issue as well as areas of cooperation between Turkey and the [so-called] ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’.”
On Thursday, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said that a potential Cyprus solution should contain a new security and guarantees system, which includes Turkey, something with the Republic of Cyprus’ government and international officials are against.
CONFERENCE ON CYPRUS
A Conference on Cyprus is set to be held between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, alongside the island’s three guarantor powers – the UK, Greece and Turkey.
The EU, US and Russia have also expressed their “readiness” to participate in the Conference.
On Thursday, Akinci also said, after holding talks with Anastasiades, that “other interested parties will be invited, but not as participants.”
BACKGROUND
Anastasiades and Akinci decided earlier this month to resume their Swiss-based talks on January 9, 2017.
On January 11, they are expected to present their respective maps on the territorial chapter.
On January 12, the Conference on Cyprus will be convened with guarantor powers and other relevant parties.
Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof, following Turkey’s 1974 invasion and illegal occupation on the island.
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