Politis

The Battle of Narratives in Cyprus

Published January 19, 2026, 08:21
The Battle of Narratives in Cyprus

The recent report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the Cyprus issue records the positions of President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Erhurman, revealing significant discrepancies and contradictions in their approaches, particularly regarding progress on confidence-building initiatives and Technical Committees. Guterres expresses optimism for a "new window of opportunity" and welcomes the commitment of the parties involved, despite the long-standing gap in negotiations. However, he emphasizes that the dialogue is at an early stage and requires more effort to strengthen trust. President Christodoulides reaffirms his commitment to resuming talks from where they left off in Crans Montana, based on the agreed basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality. At the same time, he is promoting an effort to create an "alternative model" in relations with Turkey, through a European framework. On the other hand, Turkish Cypriot leader Erhurman argues that Turkish Cypriots have been "abandoned" after the Annan Plan and Crans Montana, and that the gap between the two communities is widening. He warns of the negative effects of regional tensions and "exclusive alliances" on dialogue. The Guterres report, along with the positions of the two leaders, paints a complex picture of the future of negotiations. The lack of progress on key issues and the disagreements about the path to be followed pose significant challenges to achieving a sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue.