Nicosia 'UN'enthusiastic about Greco-Turkish bids

Nicosia says a new effort by Greece and Turkey to improve their relations is positive, but Greek Cypriot officials have been less excited about Athens and Ankara supporting each other’s bids in the United Nations.

Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis told state radio on Monday morning that Nicosia was not bound in any way by Greece's decision to support the Turkish candidacy for the General Secretariat of the International Maritime Organization, a specialized UN agency responsible for regulating shipping.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu made headlines last week over reciprocal nominations when they agreed to support Athens’ candidacy for the position of non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2025-26 and Ankara’s bid for the IMO.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, Letymbiotis was asked to comment on a report by Simerini newspaper that said Nicosia disagreed with Greek support for the Turkish bid.

“As far as Cyprus goes, we are not bound in any way by Greece's decision and we certainly cannot support Turkey's candidacy,” Letymbiotis said.

The spokesperson went on to point out that there were positive vibes between Athens and Ankara following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, adding that Nicosia had been kept in the loop by Athens over the issue.

He also clarified that the improvement of Greco-Turkish relations was viewed by Nicosia as “a positive development for peace and security in the region within the framework of international law but also for efforts to restart negotiations and resolve the Cyprus issue.”

Political pundits have suggested there was a calm political atmosphere between Greece and Turkey, with media reports in both countries alluding to the lack of strong rhetoric.