Thread by @nchrysoloras

1/ Some insights from senior EU official briefing after the #euco: if you read the entire statement #Turkish foreign ministry statement (official read it very carefully) it’s actually positive. There’s a sense that Turkey is willing to engage. Then the usual about all options etc

2/ Official appeared fully convinced that EU/Turkey relations won’t be normalised unless if the Cyprus issue is resolved. Said that a UN initiative is coming with considerable urgency after the election in the North. The EU will push in this direction.

3/ According to the official, no one wins everything in a negotiation and has the sense that Greece at least is fully aware of this. For example, the ICJ won’t give Greece everything that it wants and yet Greece is willing to go there.

4/ It’s clear that the official didn’t share the view of 🇨🇾 that the issue of hydrocarbon revenue has been resolved. The Cyprus dispute must be revolved - full stop

4/ The final text of the conclusions was much better for 🇨🇾 than the initial draft, so we can say that it fought well. But my sense was that a deliberately very dovish first draft was presented, so that the final outcome wouldn’t be too hawkish on Turkey.