Turkish, Greek Cypriots seek new crossing points along 1974 ceasefire line

"The leaders both believe that the opening of new crossing points is critical to promote people-to-people contacts, strengthen economic ties, and build trust," the UN says.

Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar (R) and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides (L) met for nearly two hours at the official residence of Colin Stewart (M), the UN peacekeeping force’s chief of missions in Cyprus. / Photo: AP
AP

Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar (R) and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides (L) met for nearly two hours at the official residence of Colin Stewart (M), the UN peacekeeping force’s chief of missions in Cyprus. / Photo: AP

At a rare meeting hosted by the United Nations, leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus have expressed support for opening further crossing points along the 1974 ceasefire line splitting the island.

Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides met on Monday to discuss the modalities of new checkpoints in the divided capital Lefkosa (also known as Nicosia).

But they stopped short of announcing additional easings in movement over the truce line that runs along a roughly east-west trajectory on the eastern Mediterranean island, underscoring that disagreements persisted.

"The leaders both believe that the opening of new crossing points is critical to promote people-to-people contacts, strengthen economic ties, and build trust," a statement released by the UN on behalf of both leaders said.

Another meeting is expected in the coming days.

Monday's meeting followed months of negotiations by aides focused on where and how many checkpoints should open in addition to the nine crossings used by thousands daily along the 180 km (116 mile) ceasefire line.

It is estimated that more than a million people use the checkpoints to cross each year, either for employment, education, or personal reasons. Bonds have tightened since the first pedestrian crossing was opened in April 2003, after almost thirty years of isolation.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot parties have repeatedly urged the political leadership to seal a deal, and civilians added their own call on Friday, a typically busy day when traversing a few metres of the boundary can take up to an hour.

The Cyprus issue

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

The island has seen an on-and-off peace process, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.

The issue has gained renewed momentum in recent months, with the UN acknowledging that despite earlier mediation efforts, a shared foundation for formal negotiations has not been established.

Turkish Cypriots champion a two-state solution, maintaining that the international community must first recognise the inherent rights of Turkish Cypriots to sovereign equality and equal international status for successful negotiations.

Türkiye, as the Turkish Guarantor State, fully supports a two-state solution and has consistently pursued efforts to ensure the Turkish Cypriot people's security, development, and prosperity.

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