Von der Leyen: EU committed to Cyprus’ reunification

The European Union “remains steadfastly committed to the reunification of Cyprus”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

Cypriot reunification, she added, must be “fully in line with United Nations security council resolutions and [the] principles, values, and legislation of the EU”.

“We strongly support the efforts of the UN secretary-general [Antonio Guterres] and his personal envoy [Maria Angela Holguin],” she said, adding that the EU “has an important role to play”.

“We stand ready to actively contribute and step up our efforts to support the UN-led process, including through the active engagement of our special envoy, Johannes Hahn,” she said.

Hahn did not travel to New York for this week’s enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem, with attendees limited to Cyprus’ two sides, its three guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, and the UN itself.

However, he and President Nikos Christodoulides did hold a telephone call on Wednesday afternoon before talks began.

The appointment of Hahn by the EU has proved controversial in some quarters, with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar expressing his opposition to Hahn’s role at the weekend.

“Following the Greek Cypriot leader [President Nikos Christodoulides]’ longstanding, obsessive insistence, the EU, through an internal decision, appointed Johannes Hahn as its envoy for Cyprus. So far, he has visited southern Cyprus. This appointment was made without the approval of the Turkish Cypriot side and in defiance of our will,” he said.

He added, “such a step, based solely on the demands of one side, is not valid for us”.

Christodoulides, he said, is “presenting this appointment to his people as a personal victory”, while also “attempting to equate Hahn” with Holguin.

He went on to say that Hahn’s appointment is “a far from impartial step” and that it “serves the political objectives of the Greek Cypriot side”.

“The EU is not a party to this process. It cannot be part of any equation regarding the Cyprus issue without our consent. Therefore, I state clearly: this appointment is an internal matter for the EU. There will be no contact of communication whatsoever regarding this appointment,” he added.

Tatar had refused to meet Hahn when he visited Cyprus for the first time since his appointment in June, though Tufan Erhurman, who is set to challenge Tatar for the Turkish Cypriot leadership at October’s election, did hold a meeting with him.

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said at the time that Tatar’s refusal to meet Hahn “sends a message to both the European Union and to Turkish Cypriots”.