Christodoulides and Erhurman clash over how to restart Cyprus talks

Politics Cyprus problemNikos ChristodoulidesTop NewsTufan Erhurman Christodoulides and Erhurman clash over how to restart Cyprus talks Igetes Fixed Relevant News Christodoulides and Erhurman clash over how to restart Cyprus talks 26 August 2026 Turkey seeks advance notice on Cyprus-Greece cable surveys, Athens says no permission needed 26 August 2026 Five aircraft battle Agia Anna blaze near residential area 26 August 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 26 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman hold their first one-on-one meeting today since UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Cyprus in July. Expectations for the meeting are low, with the onus on Erhurman to show he can move beyond the limits Ankara has set for him. Nearly a month after Guterres’s visit, nothing has changed to suggest any improvement or step forward along the lines the Secretary-General requested. The UN’s record of where the two sides converge has not yet been completed, according to information available so far. Presenting that document could give the process fresh momentum and open the way to more substantive dialogue between the two sides. The record would also expose the outstanding gaps and divergences still separating them, providing a starting point for discussion. Although the recording reportedly began even before Guterres’s visit, it remains unfinished, including on matters relating to internal issues. On confidence-building measures, only those the Turkish Cypriot side did not obstruct, or try to use for gains beyond their original purpose, have gone ahead. Under the previous Turkish Cypriot leadership, attempts to implement projects under a “two-state” logic led the effort into deadlock. Despite the change of Turkish Cypriot leadership last October, no substantial progress has followed. On opening new crossing points, the effort keeps hitting obstacles Turkey, as the occupying power, continues to raise, compounded by Erhurman’s own inability to overcome them. As became clear in the meetings President Christodoulides and Erhurman held with the UN Secretary-General, the Turkish Cypriot leader kept shifting his positions and adding new conditions, showing he was unable to commit, while serving Ankara’s interests by blocking any agreement. During his visit, Guterres spoke of methodology, a term Erhurman was quick to present as vindicating his own approach to the Cyprus problem. What the Secretary-General actually asked for, however, was for the two sides in Cyprus, along with the guarantor powers, to agree on the method that would lead to a new 5+1 meeting, one Guterres made clear would be convened specifically to announce the resumption of negotiations. Erhurman’s position It differs sharply from the methodology Erhurman is promoting, which breaks down into four elements: terms and framework, avoiding formal procedures, confidence-building measures, and the participation of the guarantor powers. Erhurman is demanding that issues such as political equality stay off the negotiating table, and that the process not become “negotiation for negotiation’s sake.” He also wants the five-party conference convened only after proper preparation and clear rules, including a guarantee that Turkish Cypriots would not have to return to today’s status quo if talks collapse through Greek Cypriot fault. On confidence-building measures, he is prioritising the crossing points issue, without taking any steps to actually open them, and holds firmly to the position that any solution must be approved by the parties involved and by Turkey. Christodoulides’s position By contrast, Christodoulides frames methodology around building a clear, structured framework under UN auspices that directly links the convergences reached so far to the substance of the talks ahead of an expanded conference. His position breaks down into three elements: linking the process to the convergences, preparing for an expanded conference, and continuous consultations. For the Greek Cypriot side, methodology, as raised in discussions with the UN Secretary-General, is treated as inseparable from the convergences reached so far and the substantive issues still open. On preparing for an expanded conference, Nicosia’s goal is to record and clarify the ground, including the relevant convergence document, so that any future expanded meeting has a solid basis and a real prospect of success, rather than becoming a process without substance. Christodoulides has repeatedly said methodology should serve the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were interrupted, while also making use of confidence-building measures. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Turkey seeks advance notice on Cyprus-Greece cable surveys, Athens says no permission needed Five aircraft battle Agia Anna blaze near residential area TechIsland & Brickworks Games launch SafeIsland CY in pilot phase in collaboration with Kitas Weather Data Commissioner finds camera in restaurant women’s toilet, orders inspection campaign Drousiotis accepts “Sandy” challenge, agrees to device examination Convicted rapist gives podcast interview from inside Cyprus prison (video) MP submits questions to minister over Lara Beach protection measures Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.