Greek Cyprus reportedly proposes direct dialogue with Türkiye

Greek Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has reportedly suggested direct talks with Türkiye, aiming to enhance coordination for a multilateral conference on the Cyprus settlement, potentially slated for late 2024, according to sources cited by the Phileleftheros newspaper.

Christodoulides reportedly had a second meeting—in a short period—with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the COP29 international conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. According to Phileleftheros newspaper’s information, during their conversation, the Greek Cypriot president suggested to Foreign Minister Fidan to explore the possibility of a direct dialogue between Greek Cyprus and Türkiye.

Meeting held on sidelines of COP29

The proposal emerged during a second meeting in recent days between Christodoulides and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku.

The proposed direct dialogue seeks to bolster efforts by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who is working to convene a conference focused on resolving the Cyprus dispute.

This meeting follows an earlier encounter on Nov. 7 during the European Political Community summit in Budapest, where the two officials met in the presence of Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

UN consultations to precede informal conference

Before meeting with Fidan at COP29, Christodoulides reportedly held a brief discussion with Guterres, who updated him on the upcoming visit of his deputy, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, to Greek Cyprus.

DiCarlo is set to consult with both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders ahead of an informal multilateral conference.

The plans for the conference were initially agreed upon by Guterres, Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar during a joint meeting in New York on Oct. 15.

UK’s role in the conference clarified

Phileleftheros sources from the Greek Cypriot government dismissed reports suggesting that the U.K. would only hold observer status at the conference, as claimed by the Turkish Cypriot side.

They indicated that the format of previous conferences, involving full participation from the three guarantor powers—the U.K., Greece, and Türkiye—alongside the U.N. Secretary-General and the leaders of Cyprus’ Greek and Turkish communities, is likely to be maintained.