Cyprus: Cyprus' Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Monday posted a video of meetings with his counterparts and other officials from Middle Eastern and Gulf states, in response to what he described as 'new unfounded statements' by the Turkish side.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the video, which the Minister posted on X, is titled "The Republic of Cyprus and its Arab and Gulf partners. Working together for peace." It is a compilation of Kombos' meetings with his counterparts and other officials from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Qatar, as well as with representatives of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The video was posted 'in response to new unfounded statements by the Turkish side,' the Foreign Minister noted.
Cyprus 'remains firmly committed to cooperation with its partners in advancing peace and upholding international law. Close relations, as well as continuous and regular contacts, demonstrate the depth and substance of these partnerships,' Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis also said in a post. He added, 'those who put forward positions that diverge from these principles would do well to reflect that peace and international law cannot be approached selectively.'
According to media reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, answering questions at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, stated that Greece, Cyprus, and Israel have created a military alliance against Muslim countries in the region. He added that Turkey can protect itself, but there are other countries that view this military alliance with concern.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.