UN envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin is currently in Cyprus and will be meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday at 12.30pm.

Holguin will also be meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Monday, and hold a tripartite meeting with both Christodoulides and Erhurman on November 9.

On Tuesday, Christodoulides said both he and Erhurman had agreed to make “no further statements” on matters of substance related to the Cyprus problem ahead of Holguin’s trip.

Cyprus can play a “very significant role” in a future peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday, as he attended a working lunch held at Cyprus’ presidential palace.

“You can play a very significant role. I will not dwell on the excellent relationship which exists between the Palestinian people and the Cypriot people and the Republic of Cyprus, but you also maintain excellent relations, and rightly so, with Israel,” he said.

As such, he said, “you can play a role in mediating between the two sides, based on a political solution rooted in international legitimacy and United Nations security council resolutions”.

Regarding relations between Palestine and Cyprus, he said that “the Palestinian people not only sense their geographical proximity to the Cypriot people, but also perceive a genuine warmth, an existential, human bond, with them”.

He then referred to wider recognition being offered to the Palestinian state by other countries in Europe in recent years, saying that “for some time now, there have been significant developments regarding the European position on the Palestinian issue”.

“By way of example, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have expressed positions which are nearly identical to the Palestinian stance. This is particularly gratifying for us, as Europe, in general, can play a vital role in reaching a settlement and establishing peace in the region,” he said.

Cyprus ‘conveys concerns of states in region to Europe’

A greater European role in matters, he added, “would benefit all the countries in the region”.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, meanwhile, said that “the Republic of Cyprus stands ready to play any role you deem appropriate in fostering cooperation within our region”, and that “this is precisely what we strive to achieve through our foreign policy”.

“At the same time, as a European Union member state in this region, we convey the concerns of states in the region to Europe, while simultaneously representing the European Union within the region. We are pleased that this role we have undertaken has been recognised by other member states, as well as by EU institutions,” he said.

He added that “we cannot change geography” and said that for this reason “we must all work together, based on a positive agenda and a positive approach, to achieve our common goals.”

United Nations Cyprus problem envoy Maria Angela Holguin will meet President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Monday, as she begins her latest round of contacts on the island.

Erhurman is currently not in Cyprus, having travelled to Ankara on Thursday to attend the Organisation of Turkic States’ leaders’ summit, and as such will meet Holguin on Monday, after he has returned to the island.

Towards the end of her stay, Holguin will hold a tripartite meeting with both Christodoulides and Erhurman on November 9.

The two leaders most recently met on Tuesday, and said after that meeting that both he and Erhurman had “agreed not to make further statements regarding specific issues” related to the Cyprus problem until, at the very least, when Holguin arrives.

Both men had also met the bicommunal technical committees on cultural heritage and on youth, as well as the civil society steering committee, following their one-on-one meeting.

Of those meetings, Christodoulides said that they were “constructive” and that “various views and suggestions were put forward” by committee members.

He added that those suggestions will be discussed by himself and Erhurman going forward.

Christodoulides insists Varosha proposal is ‘mutually beneficial’

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Christodoulides had stressed that his proposal to open and repopulate the fenced-off area of Varosha under the United Nations’ administration and open the port of Famagusta under the European Union’s control is “mutually beneficial”.

“I believe this is a mutually beneficial proposal. It creates a positive situation for both sides and serves as a practical test of whether we are truly committed to moving forward, specifically by taking bold confidence-building measures which also send a strong message to society as a whole,” he said.

Erhurman had said last week that he had rejected the proposal, lamenting that it fell short of an entry into force of the European Union’s direct trade regulation.

“Is this the entry into force of the direct trade regulation? No, it is not the entry into force of the regulation, but since [the port] would be under EU control, direct trade would begin,” he said.

As such, he said, the proposal was unbalanced.

The direct trade regulation is a pending EU regulation which would allow Turkish Cypriot goods, as certified by the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce, to be exported directly into Europe via the Green Line, and given preferential treatment inside the European single market as European goods.

It was proposed in July 2004, three months after the rejection of the Annan plan to reunify Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot side in a referendum, and shortly after the Republic of Cyprus’ accession to the EU.

Menelaou had cited progress on crossing points

Previously, Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou had said that a dispute over the routing of the planned transit road between Athienou and the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia “has been overcome”.

He said that the outstanding dispute now remains over the question of whether a planned crossing point to connect Louroujina, the southernmost Turkish Cypriot village, with nearby Lymbia, will open at the same time.

The Turkish Cypriot side’s position is that the road between Athienou and Aglandjia constitutes two crossing points, one in Athienou and one in Aglandjia, and that they are part of a package of four alongside plans for a crossing point in the eastern Nicosia suburb of Mia Milia, and one in Louroujina.

However, the Greek Cypriot side treats the road between Athienou and Aglandjia as one crossing point, counterweighted by the Mia Milia crossing point, and is therefore of the view that the Louroujina crossing point should only be opened if a second transit road, through the Turkish Cypriot Kokkina exclave in the Tillyria region, also be opened.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday offered his “warm thanks” to the Republic of Cyprus for the country’s “humanitarian and political support for the Palestinian people”, as he arrived in Nicosia to meet Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

He made reference to the fact that the Republic of Cyprus has recognised Palestinian statehood since 1988, a move which he said “reflects the Republic of Cyprus’ position of solidarity for the rights of the Palestinian people”.

“I believe that the relation between Palestine and the Republic of Cyprus dates back to well before 1988, when there were very close relations between Cyprus and Palestine,” he said.

He then added that he wished to “stress in front of the whole world our warm thanks to the Republic of Cyprus for its humanitarian and political support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian problem”.

“We are interested in the security of the region, and we are also interested in the security of Israelis. We do not want military friction and conflicts, and we want to solve the problem on the basis of the [United Nations] security council, based on international law, to the benefit of the whole region,” he said.

‘We are in favour of peaceful, popular resistance’

On this front, he stressed that “we have adopted a slogan which we are not embarrassed to say loud and clear, that we are in favour of peaceful, popular resistance which expresses the protest of the Palestinian people in cases where the rights of the Palestinian people are violated”.

He added during a planned one-on-one meeting with Christodoulides, “we will have an extensive opportunity to exchange views on the situation, and on the extent to which the Palestinian people is suffering, whether that is related to the Gaza strip, or the West Bank, or East Jerusalem, which is the legal capital of the Palestinian state, based on international resolutions”.

“For many years, we have been extending an olive branch to the Israeli side, so as to reach a settlement and for peace to prevail, not only directly between Israel and Palestine, but also between Israel and the neighbouring Arab nations, to the benefit of the entire region and world,” he said.

He also made reference to this week’s Israeli elections, saying that “we are still awaiting the final results and the final form of the Israeli government” which will be formed thereafter, but that “as soon as it is formed, we are willing to discuss with them the matter of peace”.

“When [the new Israeli government] is formed, your supporting role, given that you have such good intentions and that you are a neighbouring country, a neighbouring friendly country, will be to work towards a peaceful discussion which will have tangible positive results,” he said.

Christodoulides: Our position on the Palestinian issue is clear

Christodoulides, meanwhile, said of the Republic of Cyprus’ recognition of Palestinian statehood that “our position regarding the resolution of the Palestinian issue is clear, based on the agreed framework of United Nations resolutions”.

“At the same time, current circumstances highlight both the importance we place on our bilateral relations and our commitment to fostering conditions of security and stability in our region,” he said.

He also made reference to the humanitarian aid Cyprus sends towards Palestine and the training offered to Palestinian emergency workers at Larnaca’s Cyclops centre, before returning to the issue of geopolitics.

“Your visit takes place at a critical juncture for our region. I look forward to our discussion and exchange of views, as we explore how we can work together, through a positive approach, to foster conditions of security and stability in the region,” he said.

In this, he stressed that “the Republic of Cyprus is part of the solution to the problems in the region” and “not part of the problems”.

“We are constantly working within this positive framework, and, naturally, we remain at the disposal of Palestine, ready to play whatever role they deem necessary for the Republic of Cyprus to fulfil, so as to achieve our common goals,” he said.

Only 17.9 per cent of secondary education students in Cyprus are enrolled in vocational education programmes, compared with an EU average of 52.4 per cent, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, highlighting the need to make technical and vocational training more attractive to young people.

In an address at the opening of the ninth National Skills Competition, SkillsCyprus 2026, at the State Fair in Nicosia, read on his behalf by Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas, Christodoulides said Cyprus continued to lag behind other EU member states in participation in technical and vocational education.

Citing the European Commission’s latest country-specific recommendations, he said that while Cyprus remained among the EU’s fastest-growing economies, challenges persisted in productivity, innovation and skills development.

The Commission had highlighted the need to address labour shortages and improve employment quality by increasing the participation of vulnerable groups in the labour market and expanding the capacity and attractiveness of vocational education and training.

“Skills competitions aim to contribute precisely in this direction,” Christodoulides said, adding that they helped demonstrate the “excellent prospects for career advancement and professional recognition” offered by technical and vocational fields.

He also referred to the establishment of the Technical Gymnasium, describing it as “an innovation that constitutes a milestone in the Cypriot educational landscape”.

The institution has already expanded since its introduction, he said, demonstrating both the gap created by the previous absence of such a specialised school and the preferences of students.

Christodoulides emphasised the importance of developing digital, green and entrepreneurial skills to prepare young people for the demands of the modern labour market.

Addressing the impact of artificial intelligence, he said technical and vocational occupations involving practical work, judgement, adaptability and problem-solving would not be easily automated.

“Technology will transform many of these jobs, but it will also increase the need for people with modern technical skills who can make use of new tools,” he said.

This, he added, was another reason to encourage young people to seriously consider technical and vocational education as a career path offering meaningful employment prospects.

The president also referred to government reforms, including the introduction of a new system for evaluating teachers and educational work, as well as tax reform, which he said would leave households with more disposable income and support young families and families with university students.

He placed particular emphasis on pension reform, which he said was entering its final stages and had three principal objectives: improving pension adequacy, particularly for low-income pensioners, ensuring fairness in the distribution of contributions and benefits, and safeguarding the system’s sustainability for future generations.

“It is, in essence, a social contract between generations, which we must strengthen today so that we can pass it on securely to our children,” he said.

Christodoulides linked investment in young people’s skills to stronger productivity, competitiveness, economic resilience and social cohesion.

“Internal strength, however, is not built only through numbers and equipment. It is built primarily through people, through the knowledge, skills and talent of our young people,” he said, adding that “every investment in the younger generation is an investment in our country itself”.

Referring to the competition’s international dimension, he said cooperation with European skills development organisations, including those from Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Poland, reflected the government’s emphasis on international engagement and European cooperation.

Competition expands to 18 skills categories

Cyprus Productivity Centre deputy director Nikos Philippou said this year’s competition had been upgraded, with the number of skills categories increasing from 12 in 2024 to 18 in 2026.

Around 20 interactive “Try a Skill” stations have been established at the venue, allowing visitors to test their abilities in different technical and vocational fields.

The event will also feature presentations by professionals who have distinguished themselves in their respective sectors, while scholarships and prizes have been secured for competitors and visitors.

These include two full scholarships from the School of Automotive Engineering and 15 scholarships worth between €2,000 and €4,000 from Frederick University.

Philippou said the competition was also introducing a volunteering programme for the first time, with approximately 25 volunteers assisting with student tours and interactive activities.

He highlighted Cyprus’ success at the EuroSkills 2025 European competition, where the Cypriot delegation won a bronze medal in the team entrepreneurship competition.

Three-day event at State Fair

SkillsCyprus 2026 runs from October 29 to 31 at the State Fair in Nicosia, with young participants competing across 18 technical and vocational specialisations.

Organised by the Cyprus Productivity Centre, a department of the labour ministry, the competition aims to promote technical and vocational education, showcase young people’s skills and encourage them to pursue vocational careers.

Successful competitors will have the opportunity to join a preparation programme with the prospect of representing Cyprus at EuroSkills 2027, scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from September 22 to 26, 2027.

The competition is open to the public.

The Cyprus News Agency is among the event’s media sponsors.

Finding the 920 people who remain unidentified after going missing during Cyprus’ 1963-1964 intercommunal conflicts and the 1974 Turkish invasion is “a top priority”, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, as he marked “missing persons day”, which has been observed by the Greek Cypriot community on October 29 since 2010.

“We stand with respect alongside their families, who for decades have endured the agony of uncertainty and rightfully await answers regarding their loved ones. For the Republic of Cyprus, the issue of the missing is, first and foremost, a humanitarian one,” he said.

He added that “our efforts will continue until the fate of every single missing person has been determined.”

“In this context, we provide substantive support to the work of the Committee of Missing Persons, offering all necessary institutional, technical and financial assistance. At the same time, we are intensifying our efforts to collect, evaluate and utilise testimonies and archival records,” he said.

This, he said, is being done so as to “accelerate the processes of exhumation and identification, and to ensure that families are kept properly and meaningfully informed”.

“At the international level, we treat the issue of missing persons as a top priority. It is a subject of discussion in every engagement with the Turkish Cypriot leadership, Turkey, the United Nations, the European Union and the international community,” he said.

Christodoulides demands ‘full and unconditional access’ to Turkish military archives

On this front, he said that “our position is clear and specific”, and that he is demanding “full and unconditional access to the archives of the Turkish military and any other relevant authority”.

This, he said, must entail “the provision of all information regarding burial sites, the relocation of remains, and military operations”, while he said that “investigations and exhumations within military zones and other areas where access is currently restricted” must be “facilitated”.

“At the same time, supporting the families of the missing persons remains an enduring obligation of ours. As a state, we will continue to address the social, economic and other challenges they face with sensitivity and consistency, through targeted policies and ongoing dialogue with their representative organisations,” he said.

He then said he wished to “call upon Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side to respond substantively regarding the provision of information held by the Turkish military, as well as access to potential burial sites”.

“Today, we renew our pledge: we will not resign ourselves to oblivion, nor will we accept inaction. The truth regarding every missing person is an essential prerequisite for justice, reconciliation and a sustainable peace in our land,” he said.

He added that “until substantiated answers are provided for all, our efforts will continue unabated”, and that “we owe this to the children, as well as to the surviving parents of the missing”.

“Above all, however, we owe it to those parents, the mothers and fathers, who passed away while still bearing the deep, aching sorrow of their children’s absence,” he said.

2,002 people officially declared missing

Earlier in the day, the organisation of relatives of missing persons called for “sincere cooperation from all parties involved so as to deliver justice and put an end to a purely humanitarian problem, which has plagued both communities in Cyprus for decades”.

It also called for “the intensification of the investigations conducted by the Committee on Missing Persons and the acceleration of identification procedures”.

“The memory of the missing is alive, and it is the duty of all of us to preserve it and to pass it on to new generations,” it said.

A total of 2,002 people were officially declared missing in the 60s and 70s, with the Committee on Missing Persons being established in 1981 and becoming operational in 2006 with the aim of locating and identifying them.

It has thus far exhumed 1,719 bodies and identified the remains of 1,082 people from the official list, as well as 217 others.

Of those identified, 317 were Turkish Cypriots and 765 were Greek Cypriots. A total of 745 Greek Cypriots and 175 Turkish Cypriots remain missing.

So far this year, the remains of four people have been found, with 19 having been identified. Eighteen of those identified were Greek Cypriots and the other was a Turkish Cypriot.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will be visiting Cyprus on Thursday, with talks on the island focusing on bilateral relations, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The two-day visit’s schedule includes Abbas’ arrival at the presidential palace and a tete-a-tete meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides followed by a working lunch.

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a written statement that this was the third meeting between the two presidents since Christodoulides was elected, with their latest meeting taking place in Palestine in May 2025.

Letymbiotis said that on Thursday the two leaders were to discuss Cyprus-Palestine bilateral relations, the situation in the region and Cyprus’ humanitarian role, including through the Amalthea maritime corridor for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. They were also set to discuss EU-Palestine relations and the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

“Cyprus and Palestine share longstanding historical relations and close ties, both at the political level and in other areas, as well as through cooperation between the two peoples,” he added.

The trip comes as the government faces criticism over its increasing support for Israeli interests in Cyprus.

Akel has attacked the creation of a Cyprus chapter of the Israel Allies Foundation by six MPs from Disy, Diko and Elam, which the party has said undermines the credibility of Cyprus in its efforts to press Turkey internationally on its ongoing occupation.

Cyprus recognised the State of Palestine immediately after its declaration in 1988.

When Abbas visited in June 2022, then President Nicos Anastasiades pledged that close ties with Israel “would not be to the detriment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians”.

President Nikos Christodoulides visited Ramallah in 2023 and laid a wreath at Yasser Arafat’s tomb, and in March 2024 the first aid ship for Gaza left a Cypriot port.

Abbas has led the Palestinian Authority since 2005, with his Fatah-dominated authority governing parts of the West Bank, while Hamas ran the Gaza strip.

UN envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin will be arriving on the island on Thursday for meetings with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, before holding a tripartite meeting with both leaders on November 9.

On Tuesday, Christodoulides said both he and Erhurman had agreed to make “no further statements” on matters of substance related to the Cyprus problem ahead of Holguin’s trip.

Playing host to the Famagusta municipal council at the presidential palace on Monday, President Nikos Christodoulides said that his proposal about the fenced area of Famagusta, was still on the table despite the other side having rejected it. He also dismissed criticism that he had revived an old proposal – a similar one had been made by President Tassos Papadopoulos in 2005 – because he had built on that.

He also made the contentious claim that the old proposal “had advanced considerably and we were close to having a result.” According to the proposal, which was the same as that made 21 years ago, the fenced area of Famagusta would be handed over to the UN who would oversee the return of the town’s legal inhabitants and in exchange Famagusta port would be opened under the authority of the EU.

The obvious question is, how could a proposal that was rejected by the other side still be on the table? Was the president just telling the Famagusta mayor and councilors what they wanted to hear? And although his proposal was rejected, he told his guests: “It is an issue that I want us to discuss today and to see how we can enrich it, shape and change it so that with your contribution we can have a positive result, because I consider it would be that issue we are looking for at this moment – if we all want to prove that we mean in practice that we are working for a solution of the Cyprus problem – bold confidence-building measures.”

There was no announcement informing us whether the Famagusta municipal council enriched the president’s proposal, which was rejected but was still on the table, during Monday’s meeting. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, however, claimed the proposal for the fenced area of Famagusta was “absolutely aligned with the priorities set by the UN Secretary General.”

Surely, the priorities of the UNSG are agreement on the seven confidence-building measures he set as conditions for the process moving to the next stage, which would be 5+1 meeting. There has been no agreement on any of the proposed measures, so why would he introduce a much more complicated measure that would require years of negotiation to reach an agreement?

If the president is as keen as he claims on securing the resumption of talks, why does he not agree on the UN-proposed CBMs? This would open the way to the broad conference that he has been angling for, and possibly a resumption of talks, before the UN Secretary-General steps down at the end of the year. Does he not realise that coming up with new proposals every week achieves nothing other than delaying agreements on the actual measures that are key for any progress?

President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said that both he and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman have agreed to make “no further statements” on matters of substance related to the Cyprus problem ahead of the forthcoming arrival on the island of United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin on the island.

“It was a very good and constructive discussion, which will continue during Holguin’s presence in Cyprus. For this reason, we have agreed not to make further statements regarding specific issues, and we also agreed that no joint statement would be issued,” he said after meeting Erhurman in the morning.

Both leaders had also met the bicommunal technical committees on cultural heritage and on youth, as well as the civil society steering committee, following their one-on-one meeting.

Of those meetings, Christodoulides said that they were “constructive” and that “various views and suggestions were put forward” by committee members.

He added that those suggestions will be discussed by himself and Erhurman going forward.

Holguin expected to arrive on Thursday

Holguin is expected to arrive on the island on Thursday, and will hold meetings with both Erhurman and Christodoulides, before holding a tripartite meeting with both leaders at the end of her stay.

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Christodoulides had stressed that his proposal to open and repopulate the fenced-off area of Varosha under the United Nations’ administration and open the port of Famagusta under the European Union’s control is “mutually beneficial”.

“I believe this is a mutually beneficial proposal. It creates a positive situation for both sides and serves as a practical test of whether we are truly committed to moving forward, specifically by taking bold confidence-building measures which also send a strong message to society as a whole,” he said.

Erhurman had said last week that he had rejected the proposal, lamenting that it fell short of an entry into force of the European Union’s direct trade regulation.

“Is this the entry into force of the direct trade regulation? No, it is not the entry into force of the regulation, but since [the port] would be under EU control, direct trade would begin,” he said.

As such, he said, the proposal was unbalanced.

The direct trade regulation is a pending EU regulation which would allow Turkish Cypriot goods, as certified by the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce, to be exported directly into Europe via the Green Line, and given preferential treatment inside the European single market as European goods.

It was proposed in July 2004, three months after the rejection of the Annan plan to reunify Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot side in a referendum, and shortly after the Republic of Cyprus’ accession to the EU.

Menelaou had cited progress on crossing points

Previously, Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou had said that a dispute over the routing of the planned transit road between Athienou and the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia “has been overcome”.

He said that the outstanding dispute now remains over the question of whether a planned crossing point to connect Louroujina, the southernmost Turkish Cypriot village, with nearby Lymbia, will open at the same time.

The Turkish Cypriot side’s position is that the road between Athienou and Aglandjia constitutes two crossing points, one in Athienou and one in Aglandjia, and that they are part of a package of four alongside plans for a crossing point in the eastern Nicosia suburb of Mia Milia, and one in Louroujina.

However, the Greek Cypriot side treats the road between Athienou and Aglandjia as one crossing point, counterweighted by the Mia Milia crossing point, and is therefore of the view that the Louroujina crossing point should only be opened if a second transit road, through the Turkish Cypriot Kokkina exclave in the Tillyria region, also be opened.

The European Union and Turkey are preparing high-level talks before the end of October in an attempt to revive negotiations over Cyprus, following an initiative by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced the planned meeting on 16 October during the European Council summit in Brussels, saying discussions would address both the resumption of negotiations over the island’s division and the possibility of improving relations between Ankara and the EU.

The initiative follows diplomatic contacts in New York involving Guterres, European institutional leaders and the Cypriot government. However, renewed differences over the conditions for negotiations have already cast doubt on whether the process can produce substantial progress.

On Sunday, 18 October, Christodoulides accused Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman of imposing preconditions before formal negotiations could resume, particularly concerning arrangements for a rotating presidency in a reunited Cyprus.

The disagreement underlines the difficulties facing an initiative intended to reconnect the UN peace process with the EU’s broader relationship with Turkey.

Brussels seeks a negotiating role

Christodoulides said the planned meeting between the EU and Turkey would examine how to establish the necessary conditions for negotiations to restart within the previously agreed UN framework.

He indicated that any improvement in EU–Turkey relations would be linked to progress over Cyprus.

The president’s announcement in Brussels follows months of diplomatic consultations involving the Commission, European Council and UN.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to support the renewed peace initiative.

Turkey’s relationship with the EU encompasses trade, customs cooperation, migration and regional security. Ankara remains an EU candidate country, although accession negotiations have been effectively stalled for years.

Cyprus remains one of the principal obstacles to any substantial improvement in that relationship.

The island has been divided since Turkey’s military intervention in 1974. The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but EU law remains suspended in areas where its government does not exercise effective control.

The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey.

Disagreement over political equality

The UN has traditionally sought a settlement based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Negotiations collapsed at Crans-Montana in Switzerland in 2017 amid unresolved disputes over security guarantees, political representation, territory and the presence of Turkish troops.

Erhürman, who became Turkish Cypriot leader in 2025, has expressed support for renewed negotiations within a federal framework. However, he wants assurances about political equality and the structure of future talks.

The latest dispute concerns whether the principle of a rotating presidency between the two communities should be accepted before negotiations resume.

Christodoulides rejected that demand on 18 October, arguing that substantive questions should be negotiated together rather than settled in advance.

The Turkish Cypriot leadership regards rotating executive power as an essential element of political equality, while the Greek Cypriot side objects to making agreement on that arrangement a prerequisite for restarting discussions.

The disagreement has emerged despite recent efforts by the United Nations to improve relations between the communities.

In a statement issued on 13 October, the UN confirmed that Christodoulides and Erhürman had met in Nicosia and agreed to continue discussions, including participation in bicommunal initiatives.

The two leaders subsequently attended a joint event in Pyla, although their public differences persisted.

Turkey’s position remains decisive

A Cyprus settlement would require agreement not only between the island’s communities but also on Turkey’s military presence and the system of security guarantees established at independence.

Ankara has long maintained that Turkish Cypriots require effective political equality and credible security arrangements.

Greek Cypriot leaders argue that the continuation of foreign intervention rights and Turkish military deployments would be incompatible with a fully sovereign and reunited state.

The EU cannot resolve those differences independently of the UN process, but it can influence the economic and institutional framework within which a settlement might operate.

A comprehensive agreement would affect property ownership, trade, customs arrangements, border administration and the application of European law throughout the island.

The European Commission has sought a greater role in supporting the UN-led peace process, reflecting Brussels’ interest in progress towards a settlement.

Negotiations face immediate test

The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín, has warned that the opportunity for renewed negotiations may be narrowing.

Disagreements over diplomatic representation, contacts with foreign missions and the status of Turkish Cypriot institutions have complicated relations between the two communities.

Christodoulides has also referred to a series of proposals intended to advance discussions, including the future of the fenced-off area of Varosha. Their full contents have not been publicly disclosed.

The proposed EU–Turkey meeting offers a separate diplomatic channel through which Brussels can assess Ankara’s willingness to support renewed negotiations.

No final date, detailed agenda or list of participants had been publicly confirmed by 18 October.

The immediate test will be whether the parties can agree on the basis for formal talks without attempting to settle disputed constitutional questions before negotiations begin.