Samaras and Erdogan fully disagree over Cyprus

The meeting was rather fruitless, as according to leaks, Erdogan came out in favor of a two state solution on Cyprus, causing the Greek premier to retort that there was a great difference between the two sides, at least on this issue.

Meanwhile, Ankara has registered “astonishment” from the Greek interpretation of statements made by Erdogan during his visit to Turkish occupied northern Cyprus. In an announcement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry ascribes this “interpretation” to “stemming from domestic policy considerations,” adding that these interpretations “do not reflect the spirit of cooperation which we have recently established with Greece and desire to maintain.”

The full Turkish statement:

The statements of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece regarding the visit of H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 1 September 2014, which we wish to consider as stemming from domestic policy considerations, do not reflect the spirit of cooperation which we have recently established with Greece and desire to maintain.

On the occasion of the visit, President Erdoğan explicitly stated once again the determination of the Turkish side to reach a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus and expressed our expectation from Greece to cooperate to this end.

This being the case, the comments of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece have been received with astonishment. Moreover, it is difficult to explain his reference to the research activities started recently in the Turkish continental shelf although they are no concern of Greece.

As is known, involvement of Turkey and Greece as motherlands and guarantors in the Cyprus issue had yielded positive results in the past. As President Erdoğan emphasized during his visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turkey will always continue to be one step ahead in this process in cooperation primarily with the United Nations, the other guarantors and interested countries.

Turkey is determined to reach, without further delay, a lasting political solution to the Cyprus issue which has left its 50th years behind.

Samaras supports, Dritsas questions, Koutsoumbas catcalls

Meanwhile, the Greek PM underscored Greek decisiveness in stabilizing Afghanistan, within NATO and UN frameworks, in order to stem the refugee stream from the beleaguered country, which necessitates an immediate focus on the problem.

Meanwhile, SYRIZA MP Thodoris Dritsas came out in parliament in favor of the country's disengagement from NATO, in answer to a question by New Democracy MP Adonis Georgiadis. Mr Dritsas called NATO a a military machine that births wars, and noted a decision by a SYRIZA party conference. Oddly enough party leader Alexis Tsipras, had said at the most recent party conference that such matters were not relevant at this moment

At the same time, communist party (KKE) secretary general Dimitris Koutsoumbas slammed SYRIZA saying that the party is full in with the Eu and NATO, and replete with former PASOk cadres specializing in corruption.