Obstacles to the resumption of the exploratory dialogue between Greece and Turkey are posed by Ankara’s decision to open the coastal road of Varosha, in order to influence the pre-election climate in the pseudo-state and to strengthen Ersin Tatar, chosen by Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming elections.
The beach in Varosha has been announced to open tomorrow Thursday at 10:00 and already bulldozers are paving the coastal road.
According to skai.gr, the climate is aggravated by Ankara’s announcement that it is launching test shots of the S-400 missiles, defying the urgings of their non-activation by NATO and provoking new reactions from the State Department.
With these moves, the Turkish president is said to be trying to avoid dialogue with Greece, with a binding agenda that does not meet his maximalist goals, he is trying to show that he controls the game in the Mediterranean and his stance in Varosha is not just an election issue but a movement in the field of the wider political scene.
Possibly on Friday the Security Council
On Friday, the Russian presidency of the Security Council is directed to discuss during informal closed consultations the request of Cyprus to consider under Article 35, the Turkish intentions to open the beach of Varosha, according to Sigmalive.
Following the announcement of the decision to open Varosha, Nicosia appealed to the UN Security Council, while circulating non-paper to European governments, according to which if Turkey opens the enclosed city of Famagusta, any prospects for talks and a settlement of the Cyprus issue are permanently ruled out. At the same time, the National Council convened an extraordinary meeting under President Anastasiades and issued a joint statement condemning the Turkish moves.
Reactions from Athens, EU, UN
The blatant violation of the UN Security Council resolutions was condemned by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that Athens will back up all relevant efforts of the Republic of Cyprus. Earlier, Cyprus appealed to the Security Council.
