Turkey and Greece support resumption of Cypriot talks despite lingering differences

Ankara and Athens are of the same mind about the importance of Cypriot negotiations' continuing, Turkish and Greek top diplomats say, though they maintain their opposing views for a solution of the ongoing gas dispute.

Appearing at a joint press conference in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Nov. 29, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Greek counterpart Evangelos Venizelos called for the resumption of reunification talks, which came to a halt when the Greek Cypriot administration withdrew from the table in October over tension regarding drilling off of the island.

The Greek Cyprus administration suspended talks over the divided island on Oct. 7 after Turkey sent a ship to the waters off the coast of Cyprus for oil and gas exploration.

"The negotiations continued through even the hardest times. We wish to restart the talks in this period as well," Çavuşoğlu said during the news conference.

"We desire an understanding and solution that will protect the rights of both nations and our efforts for this will continue," he stressed.

The minister repeated Turkey's objection to Greek Cyprus' hydrocarbon searches off Cyprus, which he dubbed a "violation of Turkish Cypriot people's legitimate rights."

The minister also criticized Greek Cyprus for suspending peace talks, questioning the government's intentions.

"This negotiations have been kicked for a solution on the island and the framework of the solution is included in the joint declaration," referring to a statement announced by the U.N. mission in Cyprus on Feb. 11.

The declaration that marked the inauguration of stalled talks says a settlement between the two sides "will be based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political...