The presidents of ethnically divided Cyprus signaled their readiness to meet with the United Nations chief to discuss prospects for reviving long-frozen peace talks after their first meeting, the U.N. mission on the island said on Nov. 20.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides met on Nov. 20 in their first encounter since Erhürman swept to victory in the Oct. 19 presidential election on a pledge to work toward restarting U.N.-sponsored reunification negotiations.
“[The leaders] expressed their readiness to work towards the next informal meeting in a broader format to be convened by the U.N. Secretary-General,” a spokesperson for the U.N. mission said after hosting the meeting in the U.N.-controlled land dividing Nicosia.
They also agreed to explore the possibility of further meetings. A U.N. envoy is expected to visit Cyprus in early December, the statement said.
The meeting lasted around an hour, while Erhürman was accompanied by his undersecretary Mehmet Dana, while Christodoulides was joined by his negotiator Menelaos Menelaou.
Both were welcomed by the U.N. Secretary-General’s special representative on the island, Khassim Diagne.
As he left the residence afterwards, Erhürman flashed a thumbs-up to journalists, indicating the talks had gone well.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Erhürman said the two sides agreed that their representatives would meet regularly when needed.
“We have given our representatives full authority; they will meet whenever required. And we can also meet again if necessary,” he noted.
At the leaders’ level, they agreed to stay in close contact as part of efforts to “create the right atmosphere,” the Turkish Cypriot president said.
Erhürman also said he presented a 10-point package addressing practical problems facing the island’s two communities ahead of renewed efforts, including citizenship issues for children from mixed marriages and the establishment of new crossing points.
Although Ankara advocates a two-state model for Cyprus — a stance that differs from Erhürman’s stated position — the new Turkish Cypriot leader has nonetheless signaled his readiness to work cooperatively with Türkiye.
The Cyprus dispute has persisted for decades between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite multiple U.N.-led initiatives. Ethnic violence in the 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots into the enclave and a 1974 Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece prompted Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor to protect the Turkish Cypriot population.
The last major round of peace talks collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.
