UN Deputy Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix will visit the Pyla area in the buffer zone early on Tuesday to assess the situation on the ground following a series of provocations by Turkish forces, before heading to the Presidential Palace for talks with President Nikos Christodoulides and then crossing to the occupied north for a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
Lacroix visited the same location in 2023, when tensions flared between Turkish forces and UNFICYP peacekeepers. He is already in Cyprus, where he has been briefed by UNFICYP on the situation on the island and along the buffer zone.
According to a post by the United Nations in Cyprus on X, Lacroix arrived for a two-day visit to UNFICYP. His programme includes meetings with UNFICYP Head Khassim Diagne, military peacekeepers, UNPOL officers, and representatives of both communities and civil society. His meeting with Christodoulides is scheduled for 10am, after which he will travel to the north at around noon.
Government reaction
Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letympiotes described the visit as significant, noting it had been planned in advance. He said the meeting with President Christodoulides would cover the latest developments on the Cyprus problem, the UN Secretary-General’s efforts, and recent violations by Turkish forces.
“The fact that he is coming to Cyprus is significant,” Letympiotes said, adding that the visit “shows the commitment of the UN and that their commitment remains undiminished.”
Erhürman announces July initiative
Following his meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo on the sidelines of the Anatolia Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Erhürman announced that UN Secretary-General António Guterres is planning a new initiative for the coming summer.
Erhürman described the meeting with DiCarlo as “useful and productive” and said they discussed confidence-building measures that should precede any new initiative. According to Erhürman, Guterres plans to move once the Cypriot parliamentary elections and the Cyprus presidency of relevant bodies are concluded — that is, from July onwards.
UN: No change in position
UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric moved to clarify that a photograph from the DiCarlo-Erhürman meeting, which showed both the UN flag and the flag of the Turkish Cypriot administration, did not signal any change in the UN’s position on the Cyprus problem.
Responding to a question about the photograph, Dujarric confirmed that DiCarlo “was indeed at the Anatolia Diplomacy Forum” and that “the photograph that circulated reflects the arrangement that existed in the meeting room.”
“Let us be clear,” he said. “This does not signal any change in the UN’s position on Cyprus.” He added that “our position continues to be guided by the relevant Security Council resolutions” and that the UN “continues to support efforts for a comprehensive and sustainable settlement on the island, within the established framework.”
Daily coordination with Ankara
Responding to questions from the Turkish Anadolu news agency, Erhürman confirmed that all steps on the Cyprus problem and the foreign policy of the Turkish Cypriot administration are taken in consultation with Turkey.
“Coordination continues on a daily basis with the Turkish authorities,” he said, adding that this had been the case for all previous leaders and “will continue and increase” during his tenure. He described his meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan in Antalya as “very useful,” explaining that Erdoğan “is in continuous contact” with them. The two discussed regional developments and their impact on the Cyprus problem.
Negotiations and arms
Speaking to TRT World, Erhürman reiterated his positions on what he called sovereign rights and political equality, categorically rejecting minority status. “Equality in the political sense is non-negotiable,” he said.
He claimed that no agreements or partnerships on natural resources, maritime zones or security could be signed without the approval of Turkish Cypriots, effectively asserting a veto over the Republic of Cyprus’s international activity in those areas.
Erhürman said talks should begin in Nicosia with confidence-building measures before any formal negotiations, nine years after the Crans-Montana process. He said trust between the sides had been lost, largely due to agreements signed by the Republic of Cyprus.
“There is a world beyond that table,” he said, suggesting Turkish Cypriots did not intend to remain locked into negotiations indefinitely. He said they were strengthening ties with Turkish-speaking and Muslim-majority countries and would continue in that direction.
Erhürman also criticised the Republic of Cyprus’s defence procurement, describing it as directed against Turkey but “futile,” and expressing the view that it “endangers the entire island.”
