How the President will approach talks with the UN chief and Turkish Cypriot leader

Politics Antonio GuterresCyprus problemTop NewsunUnited Nations How the President will approach talks with the UN chief and Turkish Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides Tufan Erh Rman 8 Relevant News How the President will approach talks with the UN chief and Turkish Cypriot leader 27 July 2026 Living with OCD, locked in a battle no one sees 27 July 2026 Temperatures rise again as strong winds forecast 27 July 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 27 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber António Guterres arrives in Cyprus tonight for his first and last visit as UN Secretary-General, in what is seen as a decisive and critical visit for the future course of the Cyprus problem. President Nikos Christodoulides, who worked systematically to secure the UN chief’s active involvement in the Cyprus problem, has prepared moves relating both to tomorrow’s and the following day’s meetings and to the wider EU-Turkey relationship. However, everyone involved in the Cyprus problem commonly accepts that even this mission by Guterres depends largely on Turkey’s stance and conduct. María Ángela Holguín made a final trip to Ankara before the UN Secretary-General’s arrival on the island, in an effort to secure something positive. If the Secretary-General’s envoy heard the same message from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Turkey has been conveying publicly, the Guterres mission risks facing the prospect of failure. Holguín will be at the Presidential Palace at 9:30am for a one-on-one meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides. The fact that Christodoulides and Holguín will meet alone underlines the significance of this tête-à-tête, coming 24 hours before the UN Secretary-General arrives at the Presidential Palace. For President Christodoulides, the meeting matters because it will show where the Turkish side stands and what prospect of success the Guterres visit has. Christodoulides’ strategy paid off Christodoulides’ strategy, since the start of his term as President of the Republic, has rested on two pillars: the United Nations and the European Union. Judging by the result, the strategy pursued by Nikos Christodoulides has paid off to the maximum possible extent, within a highly negative environment, as shown by the corresponding strategy pursued by the Turkish side. The UN pillar: the peak of this has been the Secretary-General’s own involvement, through the visit he is making to Cyprus over this three-day period. At the same time, the Secretary-General appointed a personal envoy, and two informal multilateral conferences have taken place. The EU pillar: the EU’s involvement in the Cyprus problem is evident. The European Commission appointed a special envoy, choosing a sitting Commissioner for the role. The EU’s own institutions have taken action to push the Cyprus problem toward a resumption of negotiations. Over the last three years, the EU has turned from an observer into an active participant in the Cyprus problem. Christodoulides’ three axes Beyond the strategy Christodoulides pursued on the two pillars of the UN and EU, he and the Greek Cypriot side are working along three main axes that connect the Cyprus problem with the effort to restart talks, together with the wider EU-Turkey relationship. At the last National Council meeting, according to sources familiar with what was discussed, the three axes on which President Christodoulides is moving were reiterated. The first axis is continuing from where talks broke off in 2017. One of the first goals the Greek Cypriot side has set regarding the Guterres visit is confirming the convergences reached on the Cyprus problem and continuing negotiations from the point where they broke off in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The second axis is a functional state. President Christodoulides appears ready to discuss matters outside the existing framework too, but with one very clear and specific condition: that the final outcome must be a state that can function. Key parameters include the “3 singles” — one sovereignty, one international personality, one citizenship — and the EU’s four basic freedoms, covering the movement of people, goods, services and capital. The third axis is EU-Turkey relations. Discussions in recent times point to the EU and Turkey being able to proceed with dialogue on aspects of the Customs Union. According to briefings Nicosia has received from Brussels, the participation of Turkish banks in SEPA and mobile roaming are significant issues that interest the Turkish side considerably. Nicosia does not appear opposed to talks starting between the EU and Turkey on some Customs Union issues. Revised “Guterres plus” framework According to all relevant information, the agenda for the UN Secretary-General’s talks in Cyprus includes the framework he presented in 2017, which did not, however, lead to an agreement at the time. During his contacts in Nicosia and his meetings with the two leaders, he will seek to arrive at a revised version of that framework — a “Guterres plus”. Based on what Nicosia knows so far about the UN Secretary-General’s visit, which Phileleftheros was told, it is clear that António Guterres is well aware of the risks his visit to the island carries. He has instead shown, through messages sent via various channels, that he is sufficiently realistic about the difficulty of his mission. It is sufficiently clear in Nicosia that the UN Secretary-General will not want to lead the Cyprus problem into a new international conference unless it is clear that it will produce a result. According to our information, António Guterres continues to hold personal-level contacts with all those involved or with a role to play in the Cyprus problem, while further talks with key players outside Cyprus are not ruled out before his visit to the island concludes. Turkey sends Bozay to keep watch At the same time as the UN Secretary-General’s visit to Cyprus, Turkey has made sure to send one of its ‘hawks’ to the Cyprus problem, Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay. The surprise mission also signals Ankara’s intentions, and above all sends the message that it wants to retain control over the Cyprus problem. Given his position, Mehmet Kemal Bozay is actively involved in diplomatic contacts and consultations on the Cyprus problem and on relations between Turkey and the European Union. He is one of the leading voices of the “two-state” solution policy. In his meetings he demands the lifting of the so-called isolation of Turkish Cypriots, rejects a federal solution to the Cyprus problem, and argues that Turkish Cypriots have equal rights to Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone and its natural resources. Read more: Guterres’s Cyprus visit part of intense political push, UN peacekeeping chief says Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Living with OCD, locked in a battle no one sees Temperatures rise again as strong winds forecast Suspect in Berlin Pride attack shot dead by police Wildfires threaten Bordeaux as France, Spain battle blazes No evidence of sexual abuse found after inmate’s report Germany hunts Islamist suspect after Berlin Pride crowd ramming Fire near Kampos tis Tsakistras brought under control Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.