EditCyprus talks drift further off course as New York blame game deepens
Holguín warns that momentum is fading as the two sides trade accusations over missed opportunities, stalled progress and delaying tactics
The battle of narratives over what happened on the sidelines in New York – a dispute in which the UN envoy has now also weighed in – has made one thing clear: the sides are no closer to peace talks, and may be further away.
In comments after the UN General Assembly, the secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, strongly suggested that political will, among other things, was lacking. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman accused President Nikos Christodoulides of deflecting attention from the issues at hand by putting 19 “new ideas” on the table. Christodoulides suggested that the Turkish side wants to abandon UN parameters for a settlement, while his negotiator accused it of a “pattern of obstruction”.
‘Missed opportunity’
After efforts to hold a trilateral meeting with Erhürman and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York collapsed, Christodoulides told an audience of Cypriots in the diaspora that his 19 “new ideas” on confidence-building measures (CBMs), methodology and substance had been well received by Guterres. Those ideas, he said, could have opened the way for a resumption of talks if the Turkish side had responded positively.
After Guterres
On his meetings with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the president said the basis of the Cyprus peace effort, and the negotiating acquis, would not be lost when a new secretary-general replaces Guterres.
To those taking a “negative approach” in the hope that established parameters for a solution would be dropped once Guterres leaves, he said: “Under no circumstances will this happen.”
Holguín weighs in
In a statement on Saturday and in an interview on Monday with Yusuf Kanlı of Anka News Agency, the UN envoy indicated that the necessary political will was missing, as were the ability to cooperate, make concessions, build consensus and seek mutual benefit.
Holguín made clear that a trilateral meeting had never been on the New York agenda. Christodoulides proposed one while there; Erhürman did not consider the timing right.
To move forward, Holguín said, the leaders need to implement “urgently” the CBMs already agreed by both sides, showing that they can cooperate and start a peace process. That, she noted, requires political will.
On crossing points, she pointed to the benefits of opening Athienou–Aglandjia, Mia Milia and Louroujina–Lymbia. She did not mention Kokkina.
The envoy also said concessions were necessary in any negotiation. “Building consensus and seeking mutual benefits are essential; however, these do not appear to exist at the moment.”
On the UN “convergences document”, Holguín confirmed that “convergences are a single body of work, based on the joint documents that both parties submitted to the UN between 2015 and 2017”.
She said the UN document would be made available to the parties only “when they start negotiations”, adding that “delivering it earlier would open up a new source of dispute”.
Politis understands that the Turkish Cypriot side did not want the UN document delivered in advance, not wishing to be bound by past convergences beyond an agreement in principle, and possibly fearing that the sides would become bogged down in detail.
Holguín said she would be in Cyprus in October to “encourage both parties to create the conducive environment for the start of a new process”. The UN will invite both sides to present proposals on methodology that “do not create early barriers”.
Asked whether recent Greek Cypriot steps to restrict international contacts with Turkish Cypriot representatives had helped create such an environment, she replied: “Definitely not.”
Negotiations, she said, “arise from an understanding and acceptance of the other side and its existence”.
She concluded that the “favourable moment” the peace effort had enjoyed was “slowly disappearing” as the regional situation became “increasingly complicated”, with potential negative consequences for Cyprus.
On the defensive
The Turkish Cypriot leader went on the defensive on Monday at a press conference in which he gave a detailed account of why he declined a trilateral meeting.
In short, Erhürman said he would not attend meetings for their own sake. He is willing to meet Christodoulides in Cyprus as often as needed, but when others are included there must be a prospect of results, not merely photo opportunities.
Of the three leaders’ meetings held after Guterres left the island, Erhürman said the first discussed the seven CBMs Guterres had raised with them. The second was “devoted entirely” to “confidence-eroding actions” by the Greek Cypriot side. At the last meeting, he said, Christodoulides arrived with 19 new proposals, as if the seven existing CBMs “never existed”.
By that point, he said, there had been no progress on the seven CBMs, on methodology or on substance.
In New York, there was no new development on CBMs. When the UN envoy conveyed Christodoulides’ proposal for a trilateral, Erhürman asked whether there was any chance of agreement on at least some of the seven CBMs. He received no answer. When Holguín hinted that a compromise on a rotating presidency might be possible, Erhürman asked whether this meant an agreement in principle or an attempt to link it to security and guarantees. Again, there was no answer.
Erhürman questioned whether Christodoulides intended to set aside the seven CBMs and start from scratch with 19 new items.
“There is an English expression: moving the goalposts,” he said.
“Everyone must decide. Do we want a solution, or do we want negotiations? That is the real question.”
‘Pattern of obstruction’
Referring to the failed attempt to hold a trilateral meeting, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said on Monday there was “a pattern of obstructing efforts to speed up the steps that need to be taken”.
While “significant steps have been taken” in preparing for negotiations, he said, further progress was being blocked by “the delaying tactics” of the Turkish Cypriot side.
The Cypriot government said it would convene the National Council on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments.
The article by EUalive’s partner Politis can be found here.
Caption: The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Cyprus María Ángela Holguín and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman [Politis]
Updated: September 29, 2026 - 09:14
