Nicosia: The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has expressed his anticipation for a meeting with the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Tufan Erhurman, “as soon as possible” while congratulating him following the announcement of the “election” results in the island’s Turkish-occupied areas.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in a written statement, President Christodoulides congratulated Erhurman, stating his respect for the verdict of the Turkish Cypriots. “I extend my congratulations to the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Tufan Erhurman, with respect for the verdict of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots based on the election results in our occupied areas, and I look forward to our meeting as soon as possible,” he remarked.
Furthermore, President Christodoulides reiterated his steadfast political will for the resumption of substantive negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus problem. He emphasized his determination to contribute to this effort “from the poi
nt where they were interrupted in Crans Montana.” He added that this would be done within the framework of the stated commitment of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
Referring to upcoming developments, President Christodoulides described the forthcoming informal, expanded meeting announced by the Secretary-General as “a critical opportunity to restart the process.”
In conclusion, the President of the Republic underlined the framework upon which the solution to the Cyprus problem must be based. This framework, he stated, is defined by “the resolutions of the United Nations, the decisions of the Security Council, and the principles and values of the European Union, of which the Republic of Cyprus is and will continue to be a member state.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swis
s resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.