The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has asked Turkey to start direct talks. He wants the two countries to agree on their sea borders. This happened after Turkey criticized a new sea agreement between Cyprus and Lebanon.
The President said Cyprus always follows international sea laws. He said his government is ready to use the same laws to talk with Turkey. He also said that the opinions of Turkish Cypriot leaders will not change his government's plans.
He added that Cyprus is ready to restart peace talks. The goal is to find a solution for the divided island. He said this is important, even when Cyprus leads meetings for the European Union.
However, a Turkish Cypriot leader, Ziya Öztürkler, strongly disagreed. He said the Greek Cypriot claims are not correct. He said the Turkish Cypriots are connected to Turkey for protection.
The Cypriot President recently met with German leaders. He hopes Germany can help with discussions between the EU and Turkey. Everyone is waiting to see if these talks will help Cyprus and Turkey's relationship.