Türkiye on Wednesday welcomed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to advance dialogue on Cyprus, saying recent initiatives could help build confidence despite the absence of common ground between the island's divided sides.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Ankara appreciated Guterres' engagement on the Cyprus issue since taking office, following the U.N. chief's trilateral meeting with the island's leaders.
Keçeli said Türkiye believes the process launched by Guterres in 2025, which focuses on advancing cooperation in practical areas, can contribute to confidence-building while broader political differences remain unresolved.
He reiterated Ankara's position that decades of previous settlement models have been exhausted and argued that a lasting solution would remain out of reach unless the Greek Cypriot side changes what Türkiye described as its uncompromising stance.
Keçeli also reaffirmed Türkiye's longstanding support for a settlement based on the "sovereign equality" and "equal international status" of Turkish Cypriots, adding that Ankara's backing for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Turkish Cypriot community remains unchanged.
On Tuesday, before the meeting with TRNC President Tufan Erhürman, Guterres reiterated the United Nations' commitment to supporting dialogue between the island's Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, while stressing that any lasting settlement would also require the involvement of Cyprus' guarantor powers.
"We are determined to do everything possible to support the two communities in their search for a solution," Guterres stressed. "We recognize that a solution also depends on the contribution of the guarantor countries. For that reason, we attach great importance to every effort that strengthens the well-being of the two communities and their commitment to reaching a settlement."
The U.N. chief said there were important opportunities ahead and pledged continued support for initiatives that could move the process forward.
