Turkey not ready to restart Cyprus talks - Erdogan

Turkish president, Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is not willing to restart the Cyprus negotiations talks any time soon, according to reports on Sunday.

According to Cyprus News Agency, who cited diplomatic sources, this was Erdogan’s message to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when they met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Erdogan reportedly told Guterres “It is too early to restart.”
CNA also stated that the UN circles, assumes that Ankara is waiting for the results of the German and Austrian elections to have a clearer picture of Turkey’s relations with the EU before indicating a shift in its positions on Cyprus issues.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci also met Guterres on Saturday where the two exchanged views on the current status of the Cyprus talks as well as on their future.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to Cyprus, including the availability of its good offices, to launch talks as soon as the sides show their readiness to re-engage, a UN announcement said.