Greek FM to meet Turkish counterpart in New York

As ever increasing signs appear to confirm the story published in Kathimerini this week that the Geneva summit about Cyprus on January 12 will be an open-ended procedure that could last for weeks, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu are to meet in New York on Friday in another bid to set up a meeting between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before Thursday. Moreover, a Turkish-Cypriot party leader, Tufan Erhurman, said on Thursday that Turkey’s plan B stipulates another conference, depending on the progress made in Geneva.

Kotzias will also hold talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

In Nicosia meanwhile, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades presented to the country’s council of party leaders two findings prepared by legal experts stating that the continuity and profile of the Cyprus Republic will not be affected by Geneva summit.

Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had claimed last month that a federal Cyprus and not the existing Republic will sign a reunification deal. Cyprus insists the very essence of the negotiations is to find a way to evolve the internal structure of the Republic of Cyprus into a unified federal state.