UN Secretary-General Guterres: We have decided to hold an expanded 5+1 meeting for Cyprus

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a press conference following the leaders' summit held in the buffer zone with President Tufan Erhürman of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and leader Nikos Hristodulidis of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC). Guterres announced that he decided to organize an expanded 5+1 meeting to initiate a new process in the Cyprus issue and shared his evaluations regarding his contacts on the island. Starting his statement with, “We are here as a result of long-standing resilience. Thank you for your warm welcome,” Guterres noted that he observed a common expectation among the communities during his contacts in Cyprus, stating, “I saw a common desire for peace above all else among Cypriots.”

Guterres stated that since the day he took office, they have continued their work with both the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides within the framework of the UN Good Offices. He said, “From the beginning of my tenure, we have continued our work with both Turkish Cypriots and Greeks within the framework of the Good Offices. In this context, it was my duty to come to Cyprus and see the efforts towards a solution on the ground.”

Emphasizing the importance of strengthening trust between the parties, Guterres said, “I called for confidence-building measures and for focusing the leaders on this point. In my constructive meetings with both leaders (both separately and together), they demonstrated their efforts to work with my personal representative.”

Indicating that sufficient preparations have been completed, UN Secretary-General Guterres stated, “After sufficient preparations on confidence-building measures, methodology, and content, taking into account the convergences already achieved, I decided to organize an expanded 5+1 meeting.”

Regarding the next phase of the process, Guterres evaluated, “We will work in consultation with both sides and the guarantors to create the necessary conditions for the success of the meeting.”