Southern Cyprus Offers Conditional Support for Turkey-EU Rapprochement

WISE NEWS PRESS / NICOSIA, CYPRUS — Nov. 12, 2025

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, announced a shift in his country's foreign policy, stating, "We have changed our approach to Turkey-EU relations." Christodoulides explained his reasoning, saying, "We cannot change our geography. Turkey will always be Cyprus’s neighbor, so I prefer a neighbor close to the EU."

The Greek Cypriot leader also revealed that during their upcoming EU Presidency, set to begin on January 1, 2026, they are considering inviting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to informal EU meetings. Christodoulides noted that this move would send a "positive message" regarding Turkey-EU relations, emphasizing, "This is about the EU Presidency, not the Cyprus Presidency alone."

Call to Resume Cyprus Negotiations

Christodoulides stressed that the Cyprus negotiations must resume following the victory of Tufan Erhürman, whom he described as a "pro-solution man," in the recent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) presidential elections.

The Greek Cypriot leader advocated for restarting negotiations not from scratch, but from the point where talks broke off at Crans-Montana in 2017. "We were very close... If we start from where we left off, this will be possible," he maintained.

Christodoulides also welcomed the appointment of former EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn as a special representative to pave the way for peace efforts. He asserted that Brussels must "come to the negotiating table," stressing that "only the EU can offer incentives strong enough to make an agreement valuable to Ankara."

Condition for Rapprochement: Opening Turkish Ports

Christodoulides stated that the EU and Turkey should take small steps to build confidence, outlining a potential quid pro quo scenario:

"We could start with visa liberalization for Turkish business people. And at the same time, Turkey opens a port for ships flying the Cyprus flag. Since 1987, no ship flying the Cyprus flag has been able to approach Turkey."

The Cypriot leader acknowledged that some within the EU may oppose opening up to Turkey, saying he was "not entirely sure whether member states [were ready] or whether they were hiding behind Cyprus" when opposing closer ties with Turkey in the past.

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Source : BBC