Greek Cypriots

Recent statements from Turkish officials suggest that Ankara has no plans to back away from its energy plans in the Eastern Mediterranean, including sea areas under Cyprus's jurisdiction.

The Turkish foreign ministry is warning foreign diplomats in the Republic of Cyprus not to overstep their authority, following comments by Israeli and Egyptian ambassadors in Nicosia during a diaspora conference last week.

Ahead of his arrival to Brussels for the NATO summit, and following his swearing in ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had visited the occupied northern part of Cyprus Tuesday, saying his country will not abandon Turkish Cypriots and criticising Greek Cypriots for what he described as lack of vision for peace on the island.

Perched halfway up a cragged mountain range, limestone outcrops frame the small village of mostly single-story homes where Nicholas Skourides was born, and where he says he simply wants to live out the rest of his days.

Turkish Cypriots have criticized the southern Greek Cypriot side for banning its citizens from buying fuel from Turkish Cyprus.

Greek Cypriots started work on June 8 on building what has been billed as the largest casino resort in Europe costing 550 million euros ($650 million) and creating thousands of jobs on the south of the holiday island.    

Turkey believes that "it is time to try a new way" to resolve the decades-long Cyprus division, the country's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Thursday, commenting on the prospects of a resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said reunifying Cyprus as a federation may not be possible with the current approach of Greek Cypriots and suggested that alternatives should be sought to resolve the island nation's decades-long ethnic division.

Turkey has attacked the European Commission's progress report, accusing the European Union of being "unwilling to understand the difficulties" the country is facing.

A statement issued by the country's Foreign Ministry said that "the Kardak Rocks and their territorial waters and airspace above them are exclusive under Turkish sovereignty," in reference to Greece's Imia islets.

The Greek Cypriot administration will not be permitted to continue engaging in unilateral natural gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean without the consent of Turkish Cypriots, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay has said.