Turkey’s ambitions regarding its relationship with the European Union “pass through Cyprus”, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Thursday.

Kombos made the remark at the EU Foreign affairs council in Brussels, where EU-Turkey relations were expected to be one of the main issues on the agenda.

He said that for Cyprus, the future of EU-Turkey relations is linked to “a very specific past”.

“Turkey’s assessment can only be based on specific criteria and indicators, according to the progress it makes, in proportion to the specified conditions. This has been repeatedly stated by the European Council”, he said.

“Today is a difficult day for us. It marks 49 years since Turkey’s invasion in Cyprus. That is 17,897 days. This has to stop,” he concluded.

He added “we expect the rapid resumption of substantive negotiations that will lead to a solution to the Cyprus issue”.