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661. Turkey denies Cypriot vessel in contested waters

Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides was working the phones on Monday, a day after Turkey expelled a research vessel from waters west of the island, a maritime area with zones claimed by both Ankara and Nicosia...

662. Turkish warship blocks Greek research vessel

A Turkish warship issued a warning to a Greek research vessel to prevent it entering what Turkey considers its territorial waters, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The showdown came a year after tensions in the eastern Mediterranean threatened to escalate into open conflict between the neighbors and NATO allies...

663. Nineteen US Congress members call for UN action against Turkey’s Varosha plans

Nineteen members of the US Congress have signed a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres...

664. Cavusoglu boos Greek ‘maximalist demands’

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Ankara is in favor of settling maritime disputes fairly and in accordance with international law against 'maximalist demands' by Greeks and Greek Cypriots...

665. North soon to establish Varosha czar

An international conference on Varosha is in the works according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accused European officials of turning their backs on Turkish Cypriots and further insisted that any steps on Cyprus’ ghost town will be 'in accordance with the law'...

666. Nicosia, Ankara worlds apart over resolution

Nicosia has welcomed a Security Council resolution that renewed the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus and also delved into other aspects of the Cyprus Problem, with Ankara crying foul and saying the UN violated its own rules...

667. Brussels warns Ankara over Varosha

The European Union has warned Turkey it will “consider actions” if there is no reversal on a plan by Ankara-backed Turkish Cypriots to partially reopen the abandoned town of Varosha...

668. Ankara rejects statement on Varosha

Ankara has remained defiant following a UN Security Council presidential statement that condemned the decision by Turkey and Turkish Cypriots to reopen a residential section of abandoned Varosha...

669. EU-US summit mentions eastern Mediterranean

In a move to restore transatlantic ties, the US commander-in-chief and his two EU counterparts stressed the need for “sustainable de-escalation' of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, with a final draft making reference to Turkey and international law after some words were left out...

670. Mitsotakis and Erdogan agree to calm summer

In a 50-minute meeting described by Greek sources as an 'ice breaker,' Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to a joint understanding on Monday that 2020 tensions should not be repeated in 2021, while noting at the same time that the big differences between the two NATO members remain...

671. Athens irked over Cavusoglu’s minority tweet

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Sunday began his trip to Greece, with a tweet about an unofficial visit to the northeastern province of Thrace prompting angry reactions from Athens...

672. EY: Liquidity-fueled IPO markets break records in Q1 2021

673. Cyprus police keep eye on Israeli interests

Police in Cyprus are taking precautionary measures to secure Israeli interests on the island, after tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict spiraled out of control this week...

674. Greek, Turkish ministers stand their ground

Greek and Turkish foreign ministers Nikos Dendias and Mevlut Cavusoglu hailed the relaunch of exploratory talks between Athens and Ankara and called for a de-escalation of tension, but both stood their ground on key issues dividing the two sides in an unusually frank press conference following their meeting in Ankara on Thursday...

675. Top EU officials head to Turkey in bid to improve ties

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel are headed to Turkey on Tuesday on an official visit aimed at improving ties between Brussels and Ankara....

676. President meets with EU Health Commissioner in Nicosia

President Nicos Anastasiades met with the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides on Monday to discuss EU efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic....

677. Gloves are off in EU-China relations

The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, in the first such coordinated Western action against Beijing under new US President Joe Biden...

678. US supports Greece, Cyprus, Israel power initiative

The United States is “supportive of connecting distribution grids of mainland Europe to Cyprus and Israel via the EuroAsia Interconnector,” a spokesperson for the State Department said on Thursday, after Ankara on Monday formally protested a memorandum of understanding signed last week between Israel, Greece and Cyprus for the construction of a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable....

679. Greece, Turkey resume preliminary talks on maritime dispute

Greece and Turkey began another round of exploratory talks in Athens on Tuesday, seeking common ground on a long-standing maritime boundaries dispute before a European Union summit later this month...

680. Borrell: Cyprob solution must come from Cypriots

"The European Union fully supports the resumption of a settlement process under UN auspices, as soon as possible," and stands ready to provide whatever assistance both parties and the UN would find most useful, the EU’s Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said Thursday....

681. Two states in Cyprus? Why not, then, a unitary one?

An informal summit on Cyprus is scheduled to take place in Geneva in late April, coming at a time when Greek-Turkish relations are anything but good and tensions are high in the broader region. The aim of the meeting, according to the United Nations, “will be to determine whether common ground exists for the parties to negotiate a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem within a foreseeable horizon.”...

682. Pournara residents protest harsh camp conditions

Asylum seekers living in the Pournara camp located at the outskirts of Nicosia staged a peaceful protest on Monday against the delays in the processing of their applications, as well as against the severe overcrowding and harsh conditions of life in the camp....

683. Greece, France to sign $2.8 billion fighter jet deal

Greece is due to sign a 2.3 billion-euro ($2.8 billion) deal with France on Monday to purchase 18 Rafale fighter jets as tensions grow with neighbor Turkey....

684. UNSC backs federal solution to Cyprus Problem

The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday expressed its support to the efforts being undertaken by the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) to resume Cyprus Problem peace talks and unanimously stood behind a bizonal bicommunal federation settlement basis....

685. Turkey and Greece to resume talks

Turkey and Greece will resume talks aimed at reducing tensions between the neighbors on Jan. 25, Turkish and Greek officials announced Monday, following this summer’s dispute over maritime borders and energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean...

686. Ankara wants Lausanne Treaty change

Reiterating a call frequently made by Turkish leaders, Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez raised the issue of renegotiating the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which set out the modern borders between Greece and Turkey....

687. Cyprus calls on Egypt to assist in persuading Turkey to shift intransigent stance

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has asked the Egyptian government to exert every effort towards persuading Turkey to alter its intransigent stance and to reverse its unilateral and provocative actions, in view of ultimately easing of tensions in a consistent and sustained manner, allowing the cultivation of a climate that is conducive to facilitating the resumption of the peace process....

688. New Chinese Ambassador hails deepening relations with Cyprus

China opposes any unilateral provocations and actions that undermine the peace and stability of Cyprus and the region and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it will continue to play a constructive and coordinating role in facilitating the settlement of the Cyprus problem, UNFICYP’s mandate renewal, and the implementation of relevant UN resolutions, to uphold fairness and justice for Cypriots, China's new Ambassador to Cyprus, Liu Yantao said, presenting on Thursday his credentials to Cyrpus President, Nicos Anastasiades....

689. Cyprus President 'absolutely satisfied' with EC Conclusions

President Nicos Anastasiades expressed absolute satisfaction with the Conclusions of the European Council regarding Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean....

690. EU leaders pull Turkey punch at last minute

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus, postponing any harsher steps until March as countries sparred over how to handle Ankara...