Cypriot political parties react to UN Secretary-General visit

Cypriot political parties have expressed positive expectations regarding the upcoming visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the island. AKEL leader Stefanos Stefanou emphasized the need to resume negotiations from the point where the 2017 Crans-Montana talks concluded, specifically leveraging the Guterres Framework and existing convergences. Stefanou warned that abandoning the established basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation would lead to the permanent partition of Cyprus. During commemorative events for the 1974 events, he blamed the Athens Junta and EOKA B for the coup that preceded the Turkish invasion. Meanwhile, local media reports suggest potential discussions regarding a NATO-led security mechanism replacing guarantor powers, an idea to which AKEL has expressed strong ideological opposition. The party insists that a solution must lead to the full termination of the Turkish occupation and reunification of the country for all communities, including Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, and Latins.