The United Nations said on July 21 that it was concerned the failed coup
attempt in Turkey could dampen prospects for Cyprus’ peace process
aimed at reunifying the divided Mediterranean island.
U.N. envoy Espen Barth Eide said however there was no evidence that Ankara had changed its supportive position on the Cyprus negotiations in the wake of the failed coup attempt.
“We have all been rather concerned about the recent developments in Turkey,” Eide told reporters after meeting Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on July 21, according to AFP.
“I
think there is a shared understanding that this is yet another example
of the international environment not always developing in a favorable
mood.”
Eide said his team was monitoring events in Turkey closely.
“There
is no sign as of right now that there is any change in the Turkish
government’s position, which is consistently supportive of the talks,”
the Norwegian diplomat said.
During the 42nd anniversary of the
Turkish military intervention on the island on July 20, Turkish Deputy
Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş said that as a country they reiterated
their support for the peace talks in Cyprus.
“The Cyprus issue,
which should guarantee the political equality, legitimate rights and
security of the Cypriot Turks, and which we see as a national case,
continues to be our priority,” said Türkeş during the July 20 Peace and
Freedom celebrations in Nicosia, five days after a coup attempt aimed at
toppling the Turkish government failed.
On July 20, 1974, the
Turkish military intervened in the island through airborne and seaborne
operations, in response to an Athens-backed coup aiming to unite Cyprus
with Greece five days before.
Anastasiades
and Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı held on July 22 another
session of peace negotiations, which were relaunched in May 2015 after
the latter was elected as the new leader of Turkish Cyprus.
Akıncı
said most of the topics regarding the legislative and jurisdiction
chapters had been finalized, while there needed more work to be done on
the executive chapter, though progress had been achieved.
“It is
obvious that this [the rotation of the presidency of the federal
republic to be founded after the negotiations reach a final with a peace
deal] is a topic that we need to wait for it to be solved in the
further stages of the process,” said Akıncı after the meeting with
Anastasiades, Eide and Elizabeth Spehar, the special representative and
head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Both sides have expressed the hope that a long elusive settlement can be reached this year.