Hristodulidis: The status quo is not an option for us

According to the newspaper Fileleftheros, Cypriot President Nikos Hristodulidis stated that the status quo is not a viable option for Greek Cypriots. In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Hristodulidis mentioned that he was born in 1973, six months before the invasion, and grew up in a divided country. He recalled hearing beautiful stories from his family about Greek and Turkish Cypriots living together harmoniously and expressed his sense of responsibility to reunite his country.

Hristodulidis noted that each year brings increasing challenges and emphasized the need for negotiations to restart and for all necessary efforts to be made for the reunification of Cyprus based on United Nations (UN) resolutions and European Union (EU) principles and values.

Pointing out the negative aspect of the Turkish government’s refusal to engage in mutual dialogue with the Greek Cypriot administration, Hristodulidis said, "If we do not talk or discuss, we cannot even think of solving the problems. They do not recognize the Republic of Cyprus. We see a positive rapprochement process between Greece and Turkey and are using this as an opportunity to send messages. While Cyprus has very good relations with neighboring countries like Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, the only country unwilling to talk with us is Turkey."

In response to a question about Turkey’s neo-Ottoman policies and the potential annexation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) by Turkey, Hristodulidis emphasized that preventing such a scenario is essential and would be a serious violation of international law.

Hristodulidis expressed that Turkey will always be a few hundred kilometers away from Cyprus but indicated that if there is political will, he is willing to discuss and seek solutions. He believes that a win-win scenario can be created and that an agreement beneficial to both sides is possible.

He also mentioned his belief that Turkey could draw closer to the EU and expressed a preference for seeing Turkey as a country aligned with the EU rather than one that disrespects international law.

In the interview, Hristodulidis also discussed the relationship between South Cyprus and France, noting that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, plays an important role for Cyprus. He highlighted that the Cyprus issue is discussed in the Security Council every six months.

Hristodulidis revealed that he has asked French President Emmanuel Macron to put pressure on Turkey regarding the challenges they face and emphasized that France is one of the countries that understands the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean.