Roundup: Israel assures ties with Cyprus not affected by restoration of ties with Turkey

Israel assured Cyprus their relations would not be affected in any way after the restoration of ties between Israel and Turkey, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Monday.

Kasoulides said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to tell him the close ties between their respective countries would continue.

Kasoulides told state television Netanyahu's call was made well before the official announcement of the restoration of ties by Turkey and Israel.

He said there would be a second telephone conversation at the initiative of the Israeli prime minister.

"The excellent relations between Cyprus and Israel cannot be changed after the latest developments," said Kasoulides in relation to the restoration of ties between Israel and Turkey.

His statement came after the prime ministers of Israel and Turkey separately announced an agreement to mend relations between the two countries that collapsed after the Mavi Marmara incident in May 2010.

Ten Turkish pro-Palestinian activists died when Israeli commandos enforcing the Gaza Strip blockade stormed the Mavi Marmara vessel.

Cyprus, Israel, and Greece are joined by agreement of cooperation on political, economic, security and energy issues.

Cyprus and Israel have also entered into an agreement to cooperate on energy after both countries found large offshore deposits of natural gas.

Analysts say both Israel and Turkey had cooperation in mind with regard to transferring Israeli natural gas by pipeline to Europe through Turkey.

Netanyahu said sending gas to Europe was a strategic matter for Israel.

But for this to be done, Turkey also has to mend its relations with Cyprus, as the only way for a pipe from Israeli gas fields to Turkey without passing through hostile Middle Eastern territory was through Cyprus.

Turkey has not recognized Cyprus since Turkish Cypriots occupied the northern part of Cyprus in 1974, reacting to coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

The only practical way for Turkey to restore its relations with Cyprus would be to help reach an agreement on a solution to the problem in ongoing negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

The two leaders have entered into an intensified stage of their negotiations in a bid to conclude a settlement by the end of this year. Endit