Stalemate persists over opening of new Cyprus crossing points

Seventeen months after an agreement in Geneva between President Christodoulides and leader Ersin Tatar to open four new crossing points, the initiative remains stalled. Central to the disagreement is the Athienou-Pyroi-Aglantzia route, a 11.4-kilometer stretch that currently serves as a prerequisite for convening a new five-party conference. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed a compromise in July 2025, suggesting that the road be divided equally between the buffer zone and the occupied areas. While the Greek Cypriot side accepts this plan, Turkish Cypriot leadership, including Tufan Erhurman and Ersin Tatar, rejects it, citing concerns over the route's path.

Preparations for a high-level meeting between the two leaders on August 26 are ongoing, with negotiators expected to meet next week to determine the agenda. Beyond the crossing points, efforts are focused on summarizing convergences reached up to the Crans-Montana talks, a task currently being managed by academic Professor McGarry in Canada. This document is expected to be finalized by the end of August. Despite the upcoming dialogue, the potential for immediate progress on confidence-building measures remains low due to deep-seated mistrust and conflicting interpretations of the proposed transit projects.