Cyprus talks intensify as leaders commit to weekly meetings

Politics Cyprus problemNikos ChristodoulidesTop NewsTufan Erhurman Cyprus talks intensify as leaders commit to weekly meetings E39a8156 1536x1024 Relevant News Cyprus talks intensify as leaders commit to weekly meetings 27 August 2026 Second Cyprus drowning also occurred near breakwaters, no measures taken 27 August 2026 Unions demand end to 12% penalty for forced early retirees 27 August 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 27 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman agreed to intensify their contacts and meet once a week or more often, after a wide-ranging discussion that lasted around three hours on Wednesday afternoon, a joint statement issued by the United Nations said. The talks, held at the offices of the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission at Nicosia airport, covered the full range of issues on the two sides’ agenda, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Those sources described the meeting as a positive sign, given the difficult climate of recent weeks, worsened by public statements from the Turkish Cypriot side, and the fact that a full discussion of all topics took place. On the Greek Cypriot side, the agreement to hold weekly meetings was seen as a positive outcome, particularly since there had been no sign of progress as recently as Tuesday and the meeting had originally been planned to last around an hour. The goal is for both sides to make progress at their own level before all parties hold separate meetings with the UN Secretary-General in New York. President Christodoulides is due to leave for New York on September 18 to attend the UN General Assembly. Before then, the visit of the President of the European Council and the return of Maria Angela Holguin also factor into the timeline, and Holguin may be able to attend next week’s Christodoulides-Erhurman meeting. The UN statement said the two leaders agreed to announce, on Thursday, August 27, the members of the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Advisory Body. It added that the leaders “reaffirmed their utmost appreciation” to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his recent visit to the island and his continued support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. The statement noted that the leaders reviewed progress on the way forward set out during the Secretary-General’s recent visit, and agreed to intensify their meetings to once a week or more often depending on circumstances. Speaking after arriving at the presidential palace, Christodoulides said the discussion, most of which took place between the two leaders alone, had been positive. “It was a good meeting, which is why it lasted almost three hours,” he said. Preparations, he added, had begun based on what the UN Secretary-General had said publicly. The two leaders discussed substantive issues, including convergences, Christodoulides said, stressing the importance of preserving the negotiating acquis reached up to the last day of talks at Crans-Montana. On methodology, he referred to four points raised by Erhurman, noting he had proposed Cyprus’ own approach to making negotiations more effective through cross-cutting discussion of all issues. “A single issue cannot be discussed selectively on its own,” he said. Discussions on confidence-building measures were not limited to the crossings at Mia Milia and Pyroi-Athienou, Christodoulides said. “We also discussed the other three we had agreed with the Secretary-General in Geneva in March 2025,” he said, referring to Pyroi, Athienou, Kokkina, Mia Milia and Louroujina. He said he had submitted proposals, some of them repeated requests awaiting a response, concerning enclaved people, missing persons, and the need to speed up related processes, as well as requests concerning the Maronite and Armenian communities and certain signage in the occupied north. Christodoulides noted he had told the Turkish Cypriot leader that any confidence-building measures must bring the two sides closer to a solution based on the agreed framework, “and not normalise in any way the current unacceptable state of affairs.” Asked about convergences, he said the two leaders had exchanged views on specific points based on their respective positions and the need to preserve the negotiating acquis: “Overall, the discussion on the acquis was a good discussion.” On methodology, Christodoulides addressed the points raised by Erhurman. The first, concerning convergences, he said, “is acceptable from our side; we insist on the negotiating acquis” up to the early hours of July 7, when talks broke down at Crans-Montana. The second point concerned time. “Time depends on whether we start from where we left off, to walk the last mile,” he said, adding that starting from the beginning would rule out the “last mile” framing. Christodoulides said the point Erhurman raised regarding predetermined outcomes could not be accepted. “It is a disincentive to achieving a solution to the Cyprus problem,” he said. On his own methodology proposal for cross-cutting negotiation, he explained that policy chapters could be discussed in pairs, for example the territorial issue alongside property, since the two are directly linked, or governance alongside security. Any decisions by the UN Secretary-General on next steps for the Cyprus problem would be taken after the General Assembly, based on what he hears from the parties involved, Christodoulides said, with both leaders aiming to cover as much ground as possible in the meantime. “Everyone will be in New York for the UN General Assembly,” he said. “The Turkish Cypriot leader will have a meeting after the official week, as usual. It’s a good opportunity there to take stock, aiming for an expanded conference at which the resumption of talks would be announced.” Erhurman made no public statements before or after the meeting, which was held at the offices of the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission at Nicosia airport on Wednesday afternoon. A statement issued by his office said the two leaders had assessed progress made under the roadmap set during the UN Secretary-General’s recent visit, and agreed to intensify discussions through weekly meetings, or more often if circumstances required. It added that the members of the Civil Society Advisory Body’s coordinating committee would also be announced on Thursday. The Turkish Cypriot side’s statement described the meeting as constructive, saying the two leaders “once again expressed their deepest appreciation” to Guterres for his recent visit and his continued support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. It is worth noting that Erhurman made no statement either before or after the meeting. 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