EU must go beyond words, Cyprus President says

The EU must go beyond words, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said during a teleconference on Wednesday evening with European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU member states leaders ahead of the European Council Summit that will take place in Brussels on September 24-25.

In a post on Twitter, Anastasiades said he had stressed that “concrete determination is necessary in order for Turkey to cease its illegal actions in Cyprus’ EEZ and the wider region.”

According to a written statement by the government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios, the Cyprus President said the situation cannot be underestimated, and that the EU must turn its expression of solidarity into decisive action.

Anastasiades also noted that diplomatic efforts undertaken by the EU unfortunately failed to bear fruit, underlining that “we must not allow for the sovereign rights and the sovereignty of member states to continue to be at risk. We have the obligation to support the EU principles and values.”

On Thursday, Anastasiades departed for the French island of Corsica to participate in the MED7 summit, where he is expected to raise Turkey’s activities both in the Republic’s EEZ and in the fenced-off town of Varosha.

The French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference in Corsica that the seven EU member states will push for a common EU position regarding Turkey.

"It is up to Turkey to clarify its intentions", Macron said, noting that the EU wants to avoid any escalation in tensions with Ankara.