Germany ‘wants to be helpful’ in Cyprus settlement: Scholz

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that his country “wants to be helpful” in finding a political settlement to the decades-old Cyprus problem.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin after meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulidis, Scholz expressed hope that UN-led talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots could be resumed soon.

“Germany supports a solution in which Cyprus would become a federal state with two zones, and both ethnic groups will be represented in the leadership of this state. The basis for this are the UN resolutions,” he said.

He reiterated Germany’s support for the UN’s diplomatic efforts and said that both he and his government are also ready to contribute to the talks if this is requested by the relevant parties.

“I would like to see the deadlocked process finally gain new impetus, but that requires political courage on the part of everyone involved,” he said.

“Germany is ready to contribute to ensuring that everyone can trust each other again, and if requested, we are also willing to support the negotiation process.”

Scholz also called for developing dialogue and good neighborly relations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus issue

The island has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. The TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year when Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.