07.08.2026 00:50
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Tufan Erhürman announced that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed clearing Cyprus of mines starting from the buffer zone, and that although the Turkish side accepted the proposal, the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, rejected it.
Responding to questions on the current agenda, Tufan Erhürman, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), drew attention to the confidence-building measures that United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres aims to establish between the parties regarding Cyprus.
Erhürman explained that these include new crossing points, clearing the buffer zone of mines, joint action against irregular migration, crisis management during natural disasters, sports activities for young people, the issue of EU citizenship for children of mixed marriages, and a civil society mechanism.
"THE GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE REJECTED THE PROPOSAL TO CLEAR CYPRUS OF MINES"
Noting that discussions on Cyprus usually focus on the new crossing points desired to be opened, and that there are disagreements not only on this issue but also on other matters, Erhürman said: "We accepted the clearing of mines (in Cyprus); the Greek Cypriot side rejected it. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed clearing Cyprus of mines, starting from the buffer zone. The Turkish side accepted this proposal, but Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides rejected it."
Erhürman reminded that the goal of a mine-free Cyprus has been included in UN reports for years.
"NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDERWAY ON NEW CROSSING POINTS"
In the program, reminding that talks continue on new crossing points, including the Haspolat, Akıncılar, and Kiracıköy-Eğlence connections, Erhürman stated, "Negotiations are underway on new crossing points. The negotiations have been ongoing for a long time based on the UN map."
Erhürman noted that the process contains even more proposals than reflected in the public, and stated: "Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously put forward the proposal (for the Kiracıköy-Eğlence crossing point) that 'We will build the road passing from the north.' The Greek Cypriot side did not accept this proposal. Subsequently, it was proposed to create an alternative route from the south with European Union funding, and the Greek Cypriot side also rejected this. Later, regarding the Greek Cypriot side questioning how the properties of Greek Cypriots from before 1974 along the route would be compensated if the road passed from the north, it was stated that the compensation costs could be covered through the Immovable Property Commission. This proposal was also rejected (by the Greek Cypriot side)."
Erhürman stressed that the confidence-building measures put forward by the UN Secretary-General should be addressed as a whole.
ÜSTEL-FİDAN MEETING
When asked about the news reflected in the press regarding the meeting held in Turkey between TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Erhürman said, "Contacts with Turkey should not be made the subject of daily political polemics."
Erhürman emphasized that the talks held with Ankara should be addressed within the framework of the Cyprus issue, regional security, and strategic developments, and pointed out that it is not right to view contacts with Turkey, in particular, as a ground for producing messages aimed at domestic politics.