Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- Cyprus has not asked for Iran’s mediation towards Turkey regarding efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus issue, a Cypriot Foreign Ministry’s source said.
The same source said that during his recent visit to Iran, Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou discussed with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki Tehran’s nuclear program as well as the Cyprus issue, but underlined that neither Tehran nor Nicosia had raised the issue of mediation by Iran regarding the Cyprus issue.
The statement came as Nicosia’s response to a news item published on Monday by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, which said that according to Turkish diplomatic sources, during his recent visit to Tehran, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was surprised to hear his Iranian counterpart suggesting that Tehran undertakes a role in the efforts to reach a Cyprus solution, a proposal rejected by Babacan.
The remarks by the Cypriot spokesman followed an earlier announcement by the country’s Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou who said his country had asked Iran to help resolve his country’s problems.
Kyprianou said he has requested Iran to help Cyprus by attracting the support of those countries with which Tehran has close contacts.
Speaking at the Islamic Conference in Jakarta, Kyprianou said that he had discussed the Cyprus problem with his counterparts and described his participation in the meeting as “very useful”.
Kyprianou met with his Iranian counterpart, where the two sides discussed issues and developments of Cyprus.
“We have asked for Iran’s help at the Islamic Conference and in general with the countries with which it has close contacts,” the minister said.
