President Christodoulides proposes Varosha return as confidence-building measure

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has reportedly included a proposal for the return of the fenced-off city of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under UN administration as part of a package of 19 measures to restart peace negotiations. The proposal also includes opening the port of Famagusta under European Commission supervision. While the Cypriot government has neither confirmed nor denied the reports, the Director of the President's Press Office, Victoras Papadopoulos, stated that the 19 proposals address the core of the Cyprus issue and the methodology for resuming talks.

According to reports in the Turkish Cypriot press, specifically the newspaper Avrupu, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman initially viewed the proposal positively but withdrew his interest following pressure and rejection from Ankara. This development echoes past attempts at confidence-building measures, including proposals during the 2006 Finnish presidency of the EU, which similarly faced rejection by Turkey. These earlier initiatives often involved broader trade conditions, such as the lifting of embargoes on Cypriot vessels and aircraft, which the Turkish side consistently blocked.

Currently, the government maintains that the content of the proposals remains confidential to protect the negotiating process. Officials emphasize that a convergence document is ready, and the UN Secretary-General remains committed to a conference on Cyprus, provided there is sufficient political will from all sides to resume formal negotiations.