Turkey`s provocative actions in the Republic of Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will be the focus of a meeting which Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and the new Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias will have in Brussels, on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which convenes on Monday. This will be the first meeting of the two Foreign Ministers after Dendias’ assumed his duties, at the beginning of this week.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council is expected to adopt a draft text of measures against Turkey prepared by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the 28 EU Member States (COREPER) as Ankara escalates its illegal activities within the Republic of Cyprus’ territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
 
The two Ministers will meet for the first time in Brussels and will focus on the issue of Turkey’s provocative actions in Cyprus` EEZ, a source has told CNA. Christodoulides is also expected to brief his Greek counterpart on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, while the two Ministers will also discuss about the trilateral cooperation schemes in which Cyprus and Greece participate with other countries in the region.

>>> ΟΛΗ Η ΡΟΗ ΕΙΔΗΣΕΩΝ BRIEF ΜΕ ΕΠΙΛΕΓΜΕΝΟ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟ <<<

Christodoulides and Dendias had a telephone conversation on Tuesday, during which the Cypriot Foreign Minister congratulated his Greek counterpart for assuming his duties, and invited him to pay a visit to Cyprus. The invitation was accepted.
 
The text of measures against Turkey provides that enlargement funds of €146 million from the pre-accession funds of Turkey will be cut, the investment activity of the European Investment Bank in Turkey and the EU-Turkey aviation agreement will be frozen, and a series of high-level EU-Turkey discusions will be cancelled.

The EU 28 will also continue to closely follow developments and will call on the High Representative and the Commission to continue their work for possible targeted measures in view of Turkey’s continued illegal actions within the Republic of Cyprus’ territorial waters and EEZ.

>>> ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΟΛΕΣ ΤΙΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΕΣ & ΑΝΑΛΥΣΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ BRIEF <<<

Turkey issued in May a navigational telex, announcing its intention to start drilling off Cyprus until September 3. Since May 4, the Turkish drill ship “Fatih” is anchored in an area that falls within the EEZ and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus.

A second Turkish drill ship, “Yavuz”, arrived off the island’s northeastern coast on Monday.
 
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The last round of negotiations, in the summer of 2017, at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

CNA