Borrell, the top representative for foreign policy, talks about unacceptable advertisements. European heads of government agreed in March to take action if Turkey committed “new provocations or unilateral steps that violate international law”.
Borrell warned that if Turkey did not back down from its steps, European foreign ministers would discuss the steps at their next meeting. The next cabinet meeting is scheduled for early September. The UN Security Council had earlier condemned the Turkish plans. Security Council members said in a joint statement that the plans violate United Nations resolutions on the status of Cyprus.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Northern Cypriot counterpart Ersin Tatar announced their intention to reopen Varosha last week. Cyprus views this as a provocation and a claim to the region. Varosha was a tourist attraction until the 1974 Turkish invasion forced the residents to flee the area. Since then, the resort in Famagusta has been under Turkish control, but it is still uninhabited.
Cyprus has been de facto divided into a northern part and a southern part since the invasion. The south, supported by Greece, is internationally recognized and joined the European Union in 2004. Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey. Turkey advocates a two-state solution, but that is out of the question for the EU.
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