European Union leaders urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday to seize what they called a “renewed momentum” to revive United Nations-led Cyprus peace talks during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Erdoğan and later issued identical statements describing the EU and Turkey as “strategic partners” committed to strengthening relations. They said the push for progress on Cyprus comes as the United Nations seeks to restart formal negotiations, with another expanded meeting expected next month.
“We must also seize the renewed momentum to advance a settlement of the Cyprus issue through the UN-led process,” the two leaders said, adding that Turkey remains an important partner in addressing crises in the Middle East and supporting efforts toward a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The renewed diplomatic push follows the appointment of Colombian diplomat Maria Angela Holguín as UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ personal envoy on Cyprus. Holguin is expected to meet with Costa next week before returning to the island for separate talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides ahead of the expanded meeting.
The meeting is expected to bring together representatives of the island’s two communities, the three guarantor powers — Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom — and the United Nations in another effort to resume formal negotiations.
The EU has increased its diplomatic engagement on Cyprus in recent weeks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner visited Turkey last week, where they joined Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in issuing a declaration supporting Guterres’ efforts to restart negotiations.
Both Erhürman and Christodoulides have also backed the UN initiative. Erhürman has called for concrete progress at the next expanded meeting, while Christodoulides has said it should lead to the formal resumption of peace talks.
Cyprus remains divided, with the north administered by Turkish Cypriots and the south controlled by Greek Cypriots. Thousands of Greek Cypriots were displaced from properties in the north, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has issued rulings finding violations of property rights and awarding compensation. The Immovable Property Commission in northern Cyprus processes property claims and has been recognized by the ECtHR in certain cases as a domestic remedy.