George Kakouris
On Thursday morning, High Representative Josep Borrell nearly overlooked mentioning the lunch discussion with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about Euro-Turkish relations at the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting. Journalists had to remind him after he had extensively discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.
By evening, following the summit's conclusion, Borrell told reporters that the summit's work was notably delayed due to the lengthy discussions on Euro-Turkey relations and the Cyprus issue. Although these topics were not completely intertwined, the Cyprus problem did gain attention in Brussels. It provided an opportunity to highlight the differences between Turkey's position and that of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as between Turkey and the EU institutions and most Member States.
The critical question for the future is how Turkey's willingness to reengage with the EU will align with its reluctance to address its responsibilities regarding Cyprus. This includes adopting a constructive approach in potential talks or fulfilling its Cyprus obligations.
Thursday’s discussions aimed to place the Cyprus issue back on the EU agenda as a matter directly affecting relations with Turkey, even if the issues are not fully linked. Cypriot diplomatic sources welcomed this, noting that Cyprus was thanked for not objecting to Fidan’s participation.
However, this marks only the initial step, taken at a politically opportune moment before the new EU institutional cycle begins. Member States currently have little reason not to present a relatively unified stance on this issue, as the Cyprus solution is one of the few foreign policy matters with broad consensus among them.
The next challenge will be how and at what pace Euro-Turkish relations can advance without progress on the Cyprus problem. The Borrell report suggests recommendations such as reviving discussions on the Customs Union and visa liberalization. These are still in the technocratic phase, but Cyprus will need to actively engage in the Euro-Turkish-Cypriot dynamic in practice.
At this stage, difficult questions will resurface. The EU and international community recognize that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots must make tangible moves, especially given the provocative statements by Turkish officials. At the same time, there is an expectation for the Greek Cypriot side to provide clear indications on the Cyprus issue, as noted by Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar’s discussions with President Christodoulides.
It is crucial for Greek Cypriots to move beyond rhetoric and integrate the Cyprus issue with Euro-Turkish relations in a substantive way. Thursday’s informal meeting did not link the two issues as tangibly as Nicosia might have hoped, but it set the stage for future serious and consistent discussions.
[This op-ed was translated from its Greek original]
