Cyprus peace process

UN envoy Jane Holl Lute will return to Cyprus in November to prepare the ground for a meeting between United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at the end of the same month.

Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece are condemning an "unlawful and unacceptable" bid by Turkey to drill inside waters where Cyprus has exclusive economic rights.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hosted a meeting Tuesday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Cairo.

The European Commission and Cyprus urged Turkey on Friday to respect the sovereign rights of the island state and discussed the possibility of adopting targeted measures against Ankara if it continues its drilling activities.

Cyprus' president says more offshore drilling in search for gas deposits will carry on as planned despite Turkey's "threats and unlawful actions" inside waters where the east Mediterranean island nation has exclusive economic rights.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has not ruled out a meeting with Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in October under the auspices of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which could pave the way for an informal five-party meeting including Greece and Turkey.

A day after Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that Turkish troops will remain on Cyprus, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on Wednesday scheduled to meet with Turkey's President in New York.
It will be Mitsotakis' first meeting with Erdogan as Greek prime minister. The meeting is set to take place at 9.45 a.m. local time.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots need to quickly reach an agreement on the terms of reference, based on the work that was done in Crans Montana, in order to start settlement talks.

Cyprus' president says fears among Greek Cypriots that Turkey still wants to call the shots under a deal reunifying the ethnically split island nation is hampering peace efforts.

Greece's prime minister said Tuesday that Turkey "continues to provoke" in its approach towards ethnically divided island nation of Cyprus and that Ankara was becoming isolated internationally.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the comments during a meeting with visiting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, the first foreign head of state to visit Athens since Mitsotakis won July elections.

Turkey's foreign minister on Sept. 9 said a hydrocarbon cooperation proposal which was rejected by the Greek Cypriot side is still on the table.