Greece rejects Turkish calls for two-state deal on Cyprus

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday that the long-established federal formula is the only way forward in Cyprus reunification talks.

“Ending Turkish occupation and finding a viable solution are a fundamental Greek foreign policy priority,” Mitsotakis said after a meeting with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia.

“The only viable solution is a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality,” Mitsotakis said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar have in recent months called for a two-state solution on the ethnically-split island.

Mitsotakis said their position, which is in contravention of United Nations resolutions on Cyprus, is rejected by both the UN and the EU.

“A resumption of meaningful talks can only be understood within the existing framework,” he said.