Erdogan and Erhürman Meet UN Officials Over Cyprus Dispute

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman are engaging with United Nations officials in New York to address the long-standing Cyprus dispute. During a closed-door meeting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Erdogan asserted that any resolution regarding Cyprus must recognize the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Separately, Erhürman is scheduled to meet with Guterres and Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín on September 23 to determine the next steps for reviving negotiations. Erhürman argued that any renewed process, including the 5+1 format involving Greece, Türkiye, Britain, and the UN, must be geared toward a tangible settlement. He maintained that progress on substantive issues, such as irregular migration and demining, should be achieved in Nicosia before convening an expanded meeting.

While Secretary-General Guterres has cautioned against repeating previous negotiation mistakes, no trilateral or 5+1 meetings are currently scheduled during the UN General Assembly period. In his broader discussions with Guterres, Erdogan also addressed global security, criticizing Israel's "lack of willingness" to pursue peace in the Gaza Strip and calling for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.