Turkish foreign minister to visit next week

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected in Athens for a three-day official visit starting on March 8, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras announced on Thursday.

Commenting on Wednesday’s large rally by Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus, meanwhile, the spokesman noted that “the occupation army and the settlers have created a huge pressure on Turkish Cypriots, obstructing a solution and making their future more difficult”.

He called on Turkey to “read the message” in the protest and act responsibly, facilitating progress and pushing aside obstacles that did not allow all the people of Cyprus to enjoy the benefits of the country’s accession to the European Union.

The positions of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu were “echoes of the past” and hampered the efforts for progress, Delavekouras added.