Anastasiadis’s message to Turkey about gas: ‘If they want to talk, they must recognize us’

If they really want to talk, then they should recognize the Republic of Cyprus, said the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis, responding to the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister on an equal sharing of the natural gas of Cyprus with the Turkish Cypriots.

Asked to comment on the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu, who called on the EU to intervene to pass the natural gas of Cyprus, through Turkey, to Europe, President Anastasiadis said that “what I have to answer to Mr. Tsavousoglou is, if he really wants to talk, first and foremost they must recognize the Republic of Cyprus.

Second and equally important is to accept our proposal, our invitation, either for a dialogue to define the dividing lines between the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, or to resort to arbitration.

“If and when they accept something similar and the decision will now determine the dividing lines between the EEZ of the two countries, everything can be on the table, if and when studies show that a similar solution may be more appropriate.”

Asked if Nicosia favors a pipeline from Israel to Cyprus and a floating liquefaction plant in Cyprus and remarked that today the US Assistant Secretary of State did not seem to disagree, the President replied that “it is not a Cyprus issue, it is a four-party decision “Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Italy. It is an undertaking for which Europe has decided that it should even fund the sustainability research in order to carry it out.

In a journalist remark that the proposal concerns Energeian, the President of the Republic noted that “I do not comment on proposals, which are still under discussion”.

Asked if he still considers the EastMed pipeline viable, President Anastasiadis said “everything will depend on the EU-funded study”.