Dendias welcomes Israeli reaction to Turkey’s Varosha plans

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday welcomed Israel’s reaction to Turkish plans to partially open Varosha, the southern part of Famagusta that has been fenced off and abandoned since Turkey invaded the north of Cyprus in 1974.

Speaking after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid in Israel, Dendias said: “We talked about the elephant in the room: Turkish aggressiveness [and] Turkey’s unacceptable stand on the Cyprus issue.” 

“I thanked him for Israel’s clear position [on the issue],” Dendias said, adding that Greece and Israel are united in seeking “to uphold international law in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

In a statement earlier on Wednesday, Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, expressed Israel’s “deep concern” over “unilateral Turkish actions and statements regarding the status of Varosha.”

He added that “Israel reiterates its solidarity and full support for Cyprus.”