TRNC president, Greek Cypriot leader meet in buffer zone

ISTANBUL/LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Tufan Erhurman, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), on Thursday met with Nikos Christodoulides, leader of Southern Cyprus, in the UN-controlled buffer zone.

The meeting began at 10.30 am (0730GMT) at the official residence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's special representative in the buffer zone and lasted around one hour and 30 minutes.

Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, Guterres's personal envoy on Cyprus, also attended the first part of the Erhurman-Christodoulides meeting via video conference.

It was reported that Erhurman and Christodoulides spoke privately for the last 15 minutes of the meeting.

Erhurman later held a press conference at the TRNC Presidency, saying the meetings were held in a positive environment and that both sides expressed their views during the first meeting.

"There is currently no atmosphere for a solution on the island," he said, adding that the TRNC presented a 10-point proposal to foster a solution in Cyprus.

"Efforts must be made to achieve a solution," Erhurman said, adding: "The 10-point proposals we presented will make life easier for both sides and address issues that appear easy to resolve."

The TRNC president said he conveyed to Christodoulides the 10-point proposals, which include new border crossing points and direct telephone communication between Turkish and Greek Cypriot border security, as well as TRNC-related issues such as flag burning at the border.

The proposal package included the resumption of the EU Harmonization Committee, according to Erhurman.

Southern Cyprus has yet to respond to these proposals.

Besides the proposals, the TRNC officially communicated to the Greek Cypriot Administration for the first time a four-point methodology for a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus
issue, he said.

Also touching on a possible 5+1 meeting, Erhurman said leaders of the TRNC and Southern Cyprus authorized their respective presidential undersecretaries.

The representatives would meet frequently, and the presidents would maintain
regular telephone contact during this period, he added.

- Meeting held 'in a cordial atmosphere,' says UN

The UN spokesperson's office also issued a statement, noting that this meeting marks the first of
it's kind of between Erhurman and Christodoulides in the buffer zone, adding that the talks were
held "in a cordial atmosphere."

The leaders "looked forward to the visit of Ms. Holguin and agreed to have a joint meeting with her when she will be on the island in early December," said the statement.

Erhurman and Christodoulides also conveyed their eagerness to engage in preparations for the next informal meeting, to be held in a broader format under the convening of the UN chief, it added.

"Both leaders further agreed to explore other opportunities for joint meetings," the statement
added.

- Statement from Christodoulides

According to reports in the Greek Cypriot media, Christodoulides issued a press statement after the meeting, stating that Thursday's meeting was not a negotiation, but rather that the parties discussed issues they considered important.

Christodoulides said the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere and argued that they entered a process aimed at resuming negotiations in Cyprus from where they left off.

- Decades-long Cyprus problem

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot Administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.