President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman hold constructive Cyprus talks

On October 27, 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides met with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman at the UN Good Offices mission near Nicosia airport. The meeting focused on 19 proposed confidence-building measures, including new crossing points, the status of the fenced-off city of Varosha, and the operation of the port of Famagusta under EU supervision. While Erhurman previously rejected the Varosha proposal due to trade regulation concerns, Christodoulides maintains the importance of these initiatives. The leaders also held joint sessions with bicommunal technical committees on cultural heritage, youth, and civil society, an area where recent progress has been made.

Following the meeting, both sides agreed to a moratorium on public statements and did not issue a joint communique to protect the climate of the negotiations. The two leaders characterized the discussion as very good and constructive. Dialogues are expected to continue in the presence of the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, who is scheduled to arrive on the island this week. A tripartite meeting between the leaders and Holguin is anticipated on November 9. The opposition party AKEL has expressed reservations regarding the effectiveness of the current proposals, warning they might distract from the core goal of an overall settlement.