Cyprus talks

Turkish Cypriots say they have halted their own search for gas off the east Mediterranean island's coast in the latest sign that suspended reunification talks could restart soon.
     
Özdil Nami, the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister, told The Associated Press March 30 that a Turkish vessel that has been searching for gas the last few months will be sent back to Turkey.

On his first official visit abroad since becoming Greek president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos visited Cyprus on Monday, where he backed Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades?s decision last year to suspend reunification talks on the island after a Turkish research vessel entered the country?s exclusive economic zone.

A UN envoy says he sees an opportunity to resume suspended talks to reunify ethnically divided Cyprus amid signs that a clash over an offshore natural gas search may be ebbing.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and AKEL party secretary general Andros Kyprianou met to discuss the negotiations of the Greek government with the Brussels Group, the economic situation of Greece and Cyprus, the Cyprus issue dominated a meeting on Monday.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated on Thursday that the Republic of Cyprus, since its founding, has strongly supported political and economic reforms in Egypt.

A United Nations envoy has said deadlocked talks to reunify the ethnically split Cyprus are ?moving in the wrong direction,? during a visit to the Turkish side of the island by Turkey?s foreign minister.

Irrespective whether Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades would like to accept it or not the offshore hydrocarbon riches of the eastern Mediterranean island "is linked with the peace talks and cannot be delinked." Could it be said clearer than that? Hydrocarbons issue has become part and parcel of the already problematic Cyprus talks process. Who has said this?

Cyprus's president vowed on Monday to stay away from peace talks with Turkey as long as Turkish ships remained off the island, threatening its right to explore for natural gas offshore.

Turkey dispatched a research vessel to the south of the island late last year while companies commissioned by the internationally recognised government explored offshore.

Greek Cyprus warned Turkey Jan. 2 that if it re-entered the exclusive economic zone where Nicosia has licensed exploratory drilling there would be no chance of resuming stalled U.N.-brokered peace talks.
      
Government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said any such a move would be a "worrying development" and would only "validate the reason for not returning to the talks."

Greek Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said reunification talks can restart if Turkey respects the ethnically divided island’s “sovereign right to exploit” its offshore gas reserves.

Anastasiades said Dec. 31, 2014 that Turkey must stop trying to impose its will on its tiny neighbor, as reported by The Associated Press Jan. 1.