The European Union wants to become more active in attempts to negotiate a solution to the division of the island of Cyprus.
This is hardly surprising, given that Cyprus is an EU member and that Turkey, whose army has occupied the northern third of the island and which is the only country that recognizes the breakaway “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC) is an aspiring member.
But the first reaction Thursday from TRNC’s foreign ministry to a visit by a high-ranking European Commission member was negative, saying that the EU is trying to intervene in the negotiation process and that it cannot be an acceptable interlocutor.
Tahsin Ertugruloglu, TRNC’s foreign affairs representative, is a political rival of Tufan Erhurman, the Turkish Cypriot leader. But Erhurman has little margin to stake out a separate position from Turkey.
Raffaele Fitto, European Commission executive vice president for cohesion and reforms, arrived on the island Thursday and wants to meet both Republic of Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Erhurman, although only the first of the meetings is confirmed.
