Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou has described recent statements on Cyprus by Turkish Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan and his Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglou as “arrogant and negative“. In statements to the press, Iacovou also said that the UN-led peace talks will continue on August 23, adding that the meetings will be intensive and all-day.

Iacovou noted that what is important is what is being said at the negotiating table during the talks on Cyprus, adding that “if what is said publicly reflects what is being discussed at the talks, then this will certainly be subject to relevant comments.“

Speaking earlier during a memorial service for those killed in August 1964 when the Turkish air force bombed Tylliria area, in the north west, Iacovou said that intensification of the talks, as decided in Geneva, will have a real meaning if there is the required political will from the Turkish side for a solution on the agreed basis and in the framework of the United Nations relevant resolutions. He assured that “we will continue to be in favour of a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem and that is why we call on the international community to focus its pressures on Ankara.“