Cyprus talks can resume only on two-state basis, Erdogan says

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gives a statement after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Turkey, May 17, 2021. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday peace talks on the future of ethnically divided Cyprus can take place only between "the two states" on the Mediterranean island.

In a speech in the divided Cypriot capital of Nicosia, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's position in a dispute that is damaging Turkey's relations with the European Union and Greece.