Two hours of talks brought no breakthrough on Monday as leaders of Cyprus’s divided communities met to discuss new crossing points along the United Nations buffer zone.
Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar spoke at the United Nations mission chief’s residence in Nicosia. The meeting ended without any new crossing agreements.
The talks followed a public push for action. Greek and Turkish Cypriots gathered at Agios Dometios checkpoint last Friday, carrying banners that read “Open new roads, reunite Cyprus.” The groups handed United Nations officials a letter asking for more crossing points to help daily travel.
Eight-Point Plan Meets Resistance
At Monday’s meeting, Nikos Christodoulides put forward eight ideas, including new crossings and joint committees. Ersin Tatar asked for time to study the plans. He opposed crossings at Kiracıköy (Athienou) and Erenköy (Kokkina) but suggested a route between Akıncılar (Louroujina) and Limya.
Eight crossing points now cut through the 180-kilometre buffer zone set up after Türkiye’s 1974 military action. That action followed a coup backed by those wanting union with Greece. Since 2003, when the first crossings opened, they’ve helped thousands move daily between communities for work, school and medical care.
Peace Talks Face Old Obstacles
Opening new crossings could have helped restart peace talks, which stopped in 2017. The United Nations will bring both leaders to Switzerland this March, along with officials from Greece, Türkiye and Britain, to find ways ahead.
Yet old disagreements block progress. Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots want two separate states, moving away from the United Nations plan for a federal system. Greek Cypriots won’t accept splitting the island or letting Turkish troops stay.
U.S. Arms Deal Raises New Tensions
Fresh concerns rose when the United States allowed direct arms sales to Cyprus on 15 January. North Cyprus’s Foreign Ministry called this choice “tragicomic,” warning it would push Greek Cypriots to buy more weapons.
The Greek Cypriot government sees the U.S. move differently, taking it as praise for Cyprus’s work in the region. They point to their help moving people from war zones and setting up aid routes to Gaza last year.
Future Meetings and Growing Concerns
The existing crossings handle about eight million passages each year, showing how much people rely on moving between communities. Many need to cross for basic daily tasks. Greek and Turkish Cypriots at last week’s protest stressed this point, saying more crossings would make life easier for thousands who depend on crossing the buffer zone.
Both sides will keep talking through their representatives, planning to meet again before mid-February. But as Cyprus makes more military deals and buys more arms, its neutral stance weakens. These choices pull the island deeper into regional power games.
Keep up with Daily Euro Times for more updates!
Read also:
Türkiye and U.S. Sideline France in Northern Syria
Türkiye Warns Kurdish Fighters in Syria
Türkiye’s Space Race Gathers Momentum with Somali Launch Pad
