Trilateral Cyprus meeting fails to materialize in New York

A proposed trilateral meeting between Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not take place in New York on September 25-26, 2026. While President Christodoulides expressed his readiness for the talks, which Guterres reportedly supported, Tufan Erhurman declined the proposal. Erhurman argued that there was no sufficient preparation or commitment from the Greek Cypriot side to ensure substantive progress, claiming that meetings without a clear basis for results risk repeating past failures like Crans-Montana.

Following the diplomatic impasse, President Christodoulides, who had offered to extend his stay in New York to facilitate the meeting, prepared to return to Cyprus. During his visit, the President noted he had presented new ideas on methodology and confidence-building measures to the UN, which he stated were positively received by the Secretary-General despite the Turkish side's refusal. Tensions were further highlighted by a circular issued by the Republic of Cyprus to UN permanent missions, requesting that diplomats refrain from meeting with Turkish Cypriot representatives in New York, citing their alleged efforts to promote secessionist policies.