How Ankara uses Erhurman to block a new Cyprus meeting

Politics Antonio GuterresCyprus problemTop NewsTufan Erhurman How Ankara uses Erhurman to block a new Cyprus meeting E39a6774 1536x1024 Relevant News Cyprus police seize drugs, cash and knives in two arrests 5 August 2026 How Ankara uses Erhurman to block a new Cyprus meeting 5 August 2026 34-year-old man dies in Limassol drowning 5 August 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 5 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman is following a tactic that primarily serves Ankara’s goals, according to diplomatic sources. During meetings held while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was in Cyprus, Erhurman kept shifting his demands on crossing points, adding a call to open a crossing at Louroujina on top of his condition over the Arsos-Pyla road. Diplomatic sources following the Cyprus problem closely, who spoke to Phileleftheros in recent days, said Turkey is using Erhurman to block Guterres’ push for a new informal 5+1 meeting, despite having told the Secretary-General it agreed he should announce one. Publicly cooperative, privately obstructive According to the sources, Ankara wants to appear positive and cooperative in front of the Secretary-General. That is why, after a phone call between Guterres and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the UN chief went ahead with his announcement on the expanded informal meeting. At the same time, Ankara is pressuring the Turkish Cypriot leadership to appear negative or keep raising issues, so the whole process is steered towards deadlock. The same sources said this tactic was very visible under former Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who made a point of taking a public stand that suited Turkey. The sources said Erhurman offers Turkey similar help today, just not in public. As Phileleftheros revealed on Monday, Erhurman responded to the Secretary-General’s compromise proposal on the Athienou-Pyroi road by demanding the opening of the Arsos-Pyla road instead. Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou confirmed that reporting on Monday, speaking on CyBC. According to Phileleftheros sources, the Arsos-Pyla road was not the only condition Erhurman raised. During talks with the UN Secretary-General and President Nikos Christodoulides, he also demanded the opening of a crossing point at Louroujina. The Secretary-General’s compromise proposal had concerned the parallel opening of crossing points at Mia Milia and Athienou-Pyroi, for which he submitted a revised map. Why the tactic serves Turkey Beyond its outwardly positive stance towards the Secretary-General, Turkey is trying to block Guterres’ push for an informal five-party meeting. What Turkey chiefly wants to avoid is a return to substantive Cyprus problem negotiations. As Guterres himself said in Cyprus a week ago, the informal 5+1 meeting would be convened to announce the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem. The opening of crossing points carries its own weight in Guterres’ broader effort. If the current impasse, driven by Turkish positions, is overcome, then, according to diplomatic circles who spoke to Phileleftheros, it “removes from the way one of the excuses of the Turkish side.” Unblocking the crossings would give further momentum to resuming negotiations through a 5+1 meeting. Ankara, for its part, believes that as long as problems persist, this will discourage the Secretary-General’s side from pushing ahead. Why Mia Milia alone will not be accepted One issue that has featured heavily in public debate, with much criticism directed at the Greek Cypriot side, concerns the non-opening of the Mia Milia crossing, a demand the Turkish side has made since Ersin Tatar’s time. People familiar with what is being discussed between the two sides say that opening only Mia Milia, as the Turkish side demands, would do nothing to help the effort to resume talks. Fully satisfying that demand would set a precedent the Greek Cypriot side would then repeatedly face, with the Turkish side expected to demand full satisfaction of its terms at every stage before agreeing to discuss anything else or engage with Greek Cypriot requests. First leaders’ meeting expected soon President Christodoulides and Erhurman are in contact through their negotiators, in coordination with the United Nations, to meet and hold talks based on what the Secretary-General has requested. A source familiar with the contacts between the two sides told Phileleftheros that the Greek Cypriot side has proposed some dates and is awaiting a response from the Turkish Cypriot side, adding that the first meeting will take place very soon. 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