Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis on Wednesday said Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s refusal to meet European Union envoy for the Cyprus problem Johannes Hahn “sends a message to both the European Union and to Turkish Cypriots”.

“It is known that the Republic of Cyprus has joined the European Union, is a member state of the European Union, and will remain a member state of the European Union after the solution,” he began

“Our Turkish Cypriot compatriots themselves, with the consent and agreement of the Republic of Cyprus, enjoy many of the rights of European citizens. The European Union itself recognises this,” he added, going on to say that joining the EU was “the Republic of Cyprus’ greatest diplomatic achievement”.

As such, he said, Tatar’s refusal to meet Hahn is “indicative”.

“A meeting of Tatar and Hahn could only be assessed positively. Our approach from the first moment, which we will maintain, is that we constantly seek dialogue. We constantly seek to present concerns, and it is only through the holding of these contacts and meetings that progress can be achieved,” he said.

He also confirmed that United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin will visit both Brussels and London next week. She will meet Hahn while in Brussels, with Letymbiotis describing that meeting as “important”.

After those meetings, Holguin will return to Cyprus for another round of contacts ahead of the planned enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem which will likely take place in New York next month.

On this matter, Letymbiotis said that “all parties except Turkey have responded affirmatively” regarding a specific set of proposed dates and added that there has been “a sounding board from the UN for some other dates”.

The enlarged meeting, the second of its kind to take place this year, will, if held, see Cyprus’ two sides and its three guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, convene to discuss matters related to the Cyprus problem.

Tatar had on Tuesday night explained his reasoning for not meeting Hahn, saying he was “appointed without the approval of the Turkish Cypriot side and in defiance of our will”, and that as such, his appointment is “invalid for us”, before going on to criticise President Nikos Christodoulides’ attitude regarding Hahn’s appointment.

“The Greek Cypriot leader presents this appointment to his people as his personal victory and tries to equate Hahn with [Holguin]. This approach is not unrealistic, but also disrespectful towards the work carried out within the framework of the UN,” he said.

While Tatar did not meet Hahn, Tufan Erhurman, the man who is set to be his main challenger at October’s Turkish Cypriot leadership election, did.

After his meeting, he wrote in a post on social media that he had discussed a range of issues with him, including the framework for a Cyprus problem solution, electricity interconnection, and the property issue.

“Once again, we have the opportunity to explain things comprehensively. Dialogue and diplomacy are always good. We will keep talking to everyone, without getting tired or bored of explaining,” Erhurman said.