President Demetris Christofias will raise recent statements by Turkey’s Prime Minister on Cyprus at today’s meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, in the framework of direct talks for a Cyprus solution.

Replying questions before leaving the Presidential Palace for the meeting, President Christofias said he would definitely bring up Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks.

In his statements last week, Turkey’s Prime Minister questioned the existence of the Republic of Cyprus and threatened the EU that accession negotiations with Brussels will freeze if Cyprus assumes the rotating six-monthly presidency of the EU Council, in July next year, without a political settlement of the Cyprus problem.

The Turkish PM also said that he would not be returning the Turkish occupied areas of Morphou and Karpass to the Greek Cypriots, as part of a negotiated deal.

The government has already protested the statements to the UN and the EU.