Guterres attempts to revive Cyprus peace talks despite deep Turkish-Greek divisions

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has put Cyprus back at the centre of diplomacy, launching a new push on Wednesday to break the island’s long-running political deadlock.

Guterres, speaking in Nicosia after meetings with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, said he would do "everything I can to support the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in this very important moment."

He later told a news conference that "I do believe that a solution in Cyprus is absolutely crucial, not only to preserve the interests and the peace of the Cyprus people, but also as a factor of stability in what is becoming a dangerously unstable region."

The visit is Guterres’ first to the island as UN chief and comes as the UN tries to break nearly a decade of political deadlock between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over the eastern Mediterranean island.

He met the two leaders separately on Tuesday and subsequently held joint talks on Wednesday in the UN-controlled buffer zone that divides the territory.

The five-plus-one format of the supposed talks would bring together the island’s two communities, along with the three guarantor powers – Greece, Britain and Turkey – that underpinned Cyprus’ independence in 1960 after Britain withdrew from colonial rule. Guterres said the meeting would follow further work to prepare the ground on the substance of talks, including confidence-building and the negotiating method.

The UN says the goal is not only a final settlement but also steps that can reduce tensions and improve stability on the island. Guterres framed the visit as one of "solidarity", signalling that the world body wants to keep the process alive even if a breakthrough remains distant.

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island following a brief coup by Greek military-backed forces. The south is governed by the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot administration, which represents Cyprus in the European Union and recently held the bloc’s rotating presidency in early 2026. The north is controlled by a breakaway Turkish Cypriot administration recognised only by Ankara.

A UN peacekeeping force has been stationed along the island’s 180-kilometer buffer zone since 1964, monitoring the ceasefire line that cuts through the capital, Nicosia, and divides communities, property and political life.

Deep divisions remain

But the core issues in the process remain politically charged: power-sharing, political equality, security guarantees, and the role of Turkey after any settlement.

One of the thorniest questions is property. Tens of thousands of people were displaced in 1974, and any deal would have to address returns, compensation or swaps for homes and land left behind.

Another major obstacle is security: Greek Cypriots oppose Turkey keeping troops or any formal role after reunification, while Turkish Cypriots argue that Turkish involvement remains essential to their security.

Christodoulides has pushed for negotiations to resume from where they collapsed in 2017, when Guterres oversaw the last major UN-backed effort and the parties discussed a bicommunal, bizonal federation.

Erhürman, meanwhile, broke with his predecessor’s insistence on a two-state solution and campaigned instead for a federal settlement, though he has also warned he will not enter another open-ended process without prior agreement on political equality.

The diplomatic push is unfolding against a wider regional backdrop that gives Cyprus added significance. A settlement could help unlock the island’s potential role in supplying natural gas to Europe from the eastern Mediterranean, where competing interests over energy and maritime influence have helped inflame tensions.

That energy issue became even more sensitive this month, when Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus signed an agreement to build a 101-kilometer undersea natural gas pipeline, with a target of coming online in 2028. The project would run from Anamur in southern Turkey to the Teknecik power station near Kyrenia, using two parallel 22-inch lines designed for bidirectional flow.

Ankara has framed the project as being about energy security and development project for the north, with the potential to open future export options for eastern Mediterranean gas.

But the Republic of Cyprus says the deal has no legal standing because it was signed without its consent and violates its sovereign rights over the island and its maritime zone. Nicosia also argues the project is part of Turkey’s broader effort to deepen the north’s integration with Ankara and entrench the island’s division.

Cyprus’ strategic value extends well into the region – lying roughly 207 kilometres from Lebanon and about 340 kilometres from Israel, in recent years Nicosia has used that proximity to the Middle East to position itself as a gateway between the EU and the region. It has also deepened ties with several countries, especially Israel, including in energy and defence.