Cyprus leaders hold eleventh meeting ahead of UN General Assembly

On September 17, 2026, Republic of Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman held their eleventh meeting in the UN-controlled buffer zone. The two-hour discussion, conducted under UN auspices, served as their final face-to-face interaction before the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. The United Nations described the meeting as a good discussion covering confidence-building measures, negotiation methodology, and the substance of a potential settlement.

President Christodoulides stated that he presented 19 specific new proposals across three key areas. While the leaders did not reach full alignment during this session, Christodoulides noted that there was no negative reaction from Erhürman, who requested time to study the suggestions. The Cypriot president expressed optimism that these ideas could facilitate positive developments in the peace process. He also reiterated his readiness to participate in an expanded conference whenever the UN deems conditions appropriate.

Following the meeting, the focus shifts to New York, where Christodoulides intends to brief UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. These high-level discussions will determine the next steps for resuming substantive negotiations regarding the Cyprus issue.