The embassy of the Russian Federation to Cyprus has denied reports published in Turkish media, claiming that Russia is engaged in talks with a view to commencing direct flights to the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti has said.

A Russian embassy spokesperson was invited by RIA-Novosti to comment on reports published by Turkish daily “Milliyet” that the first direct flight from Russia to occupied Cyprus will begin on November 15, the day of the illegal unilateral declaration of independence by the regime established in the northern occupied part of Cyprus in 1983. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

“The Embassy of Russia has not carried out any sort of talks with regard to this issue,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying, adding that “we will not proceed with such actions towards that end. This issue has not been discussed with none of the parties through embassies.”

“Russia’s position towards the settlement of the Cyprus problem has not changed,” the spokesperson noted.

The same spokesperson also added that “the embassy does not comment on speculations and unverified reports by individual media.”

Russian diplomatic sources also described the reports as «inventions by the Turkish press.”

The UN Security Council with its resolution 541, approved in 1983 described the illegal UDI by the occupying regime as legally invalid and called for its withdrawal. Numerous rounds of talks under the aegis of the UN, to reunite the island, failed to yield results.