Cyprus indicated on 14th November that Turkey had to abandon its demands to have a two-state solution to the divided island in the event it wanted to get a step further on its long-withheld application to join the European Union.

At a speech given in Berlin following negotiations with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides indicated that the Turkish stance towards Cyprus became a hindrance to its EU aspirations. He further maintained that Ankara was not entitled to access the defence fund of the bloc called SAFE, as Turkey, a NATO member, had no defence or security deal with the EU.

Merz indicated that Christodoulides had sought German assistance in those attempts to overcome the stalemate over Cyprus, noting that Berlin was in close contact with Ankara.

Merz told a joint press conference that the different options of how this could be done were discussed.

“We talked about a very practical proposal, which I took as interesting, and which we might take a step in this direction under the Cypriot presidency. I said that the German government was willing to be involved in this process actively.”

In January, Cyprus took the rotating presidency of the EU. There are no diplomatic ties between Cyprus and Turkey, which has been an EU candidate for decades.

A short-lived Greece-inspired coup led to a Turkish invasion in 1974. It is still split into internationally recognised Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, which is only recognised by Ankara.

On Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that a two-state settlement was the most practical way of resolving the Cyprus issue, which is denied by Greek Cypriots.

Christodoulides said that Turkey could not even approach the EU in the event that Mr Erdogan insisted on two states in Cyprus.

“It is relevant that the EU and the international community, whichever Mr Erdogan claims, (define) a solution on the basis of the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council,” Christodoulides said.