Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Sunday called on Turkey to “seize the opportunity” with regard to Cyprus and the possibility of making progress in the country’s relations with the European Union.

He was asked by newspaper Phileleftheros about whether Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will be invited to a planned informal meeting of European foreign ministers which is set to take place in Limassol in the first half of this year and stressed that Turkey “is not excluded from the Republic of Cyprus”.

To this end, he made reference to President Nikos Christodoulides’ offer to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend an informal meeting of EU member states and neighbouring countries in Cyprus in April.

“Turkey is not excluded from the Republic of Cyprus, but Turkey must choose whether to insist on its own self-exclusion. We seek for Turkey to seize the opportunity, in connection with its Cyprus-related obligations,” he said.

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Fidan had earlier suggested that Cyprus’ six-month term as the president of the Council of the European Union, which began on Thursday, “could also be an opportunity for Turkey”.

He lamented that at present, “the Greek Cypriot administration is placing obstacles in front of Turkey on the international stage”, but also expressed hope that this stance may soften in the near future.

“They obstruct us whenever they get the chance. However, I think that in the face of the current threats which Europe is facing, cooperation and relations between the European Union and Turkey have become more meaningful than ever,” he said.

Earlier, he had warned of reports that “a Mediterranean agreement encompassing the entire Mediterranean” with the exception of Turkey, “will be put forward” during Cyprus’ six-month term, saying that were such an agreement to come about, it would be “illegitimate from our perspective”.

“The European Union has been unable to resist the arrogance of the Greek Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus for years. It has been dragged along by this arrogance, but at this point in the world, this arrogance is no longer limited to the Greek Cypriot administration. It would mean dealing a major blow to the main pillars of the EU’s security architecture,” he said.

Christodoulides’ overtures to Erdogan last month drew the ire of Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, with a comment made to French newspaper Le Figaro by Christodoulides stating that he is “prepared to meet [Erdogan] to discuss the Cyprus issue and reach a negotiated settlement” drawing a response.

Erhurman accused Christodoulides of “disregarding his interlocutor and the Turkish Cypriot people, who are on equal footing in all negotiations under the United Nations umbrella”.

He added that Christodoulides’ comments do not “in any way help to create a climate for a solution on the island” and that “on the contrary, it undermines mutual trust”.

“The Turkish Cypriot people exist. They are one of the two equal founding partners on the island, and we will not tolerate them being ignored or treated as if they do not exist through statements or agreements,” he said.