Cyprus President Ready to Resume Reunification Talks, Calls for Turkish Engagement

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed his readiness to immediately restart reunification talks regarding the island's division during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. He urged Turkey to participate in this effort, emphasizing that geography cannot be changed and that this moment represents an opportunity for both nations.

“Turkey and Cyprus will always remain neighbours,” he stated. “I firmly believe we can forge a new path of peace, cooperation, and collaboration.”

The island has been divided since a Turkish invasion following a short-lived Greek-inspired coup decades ago, which was preceded by years of intermittent violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Reunification discussions collapsed in mid-2017 and have remained stalled since then. The Turkish Cypriot breakaway state in northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, advocates for a two-state solution, while Greek Cypriots insist on a framework defined by U.N. resolutions for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

“I am committed and ready to sit at the negotiating table today. Not tomorrow. Today,” Christodoulides affirmed.

In a contrasting address, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared the federation model “has now completely lost its validity,” claiming there are “two separate states and two separate peoples” on the island. He called for the recognition of the Turkish Cypriots' sovereign equality and their right to equal international status.

Erdogan later suggested that a meeting under U.N. auspices to discuss alternatives to a federation could be beneficial.

Despite the ongoing regional tensions, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Christodoulides remains optimistic. He highlighted Cyprus’s role earlier this year in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza, with support from the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, and expressed willingness to assist in evacuations if the situation worsens.

“I refuse to accept the narrative of a region in turmoil,” he declared. “I have seen what countries can achieve when they unite behind a common vision.”