AP Interview: Cyprus president says peace deal would create Cyprus, Israel, Turkey gas link

Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades listens during an interview with Associated Press at his office in the presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. Cyprus’ president says an agreement reunifying the ethnically-divided island nation would allow energy hungry Turkey to be supplied with newly found Cypriot and Israeli natural gas and would contribute to mending broken-down relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) (The Associated Press)

NICOSIA, Cyprus – Cyprus' president says an agreement to reunify the ethnically-divided Mediterranean island nation would help ease Turkey's energy needs.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Nicos Anastasiades says a deal would allow Turkey to be supplied with newly found Cypriot and Israeli natural gas and contribute to improving relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

Anastasiades says Monday that the United States was instrumental in the resumption of stalled peace talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots and that the growing interest in an accord is grounded in the potential for regional energy cooperation and helping to dampen down instability in a turbulent area.

He says Israel could also export its offshore gas to Turkey through a reunified Cyprus and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may visit Cyprus in the spring.