ATHENS — "The Turkish President’s scheduled visit to occupied Varosha, accompanied by a government team, on the “anniversary” of the unilateral and illegal declaration of the Turkish Cypriot entity in occupied Cyprus, is an unprecedented provocation that is in direct violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789 and the Conclusions of the European Council.This action adds to Turkey’s ongoing and increasing violations of international legality in the Eastern Mediterranean. We condemn it in the most categorical manner and expect it to be discussed in depth at the upcoming December meeting of the European Council.

Greece has repeatedly stressed that it is in favour of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General with a view to finding a comprehensive, just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, based on the resolutions of the Security Council and the European Acquis. To achieve this goal, Greece is in ongoing coordination and in complete accord with the Cypriot government," the Greek Foreign Ministry said in its announcement on Saturday.