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Cyprus Presses Turkey to Drop Two-State Demand to Advance EU Bid

In Berlin, President Nikos Christodoulides sought German backing for efforts to break the deadlock.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman attend a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, November 13, 2025. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman attend a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, November 13, 2025. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a press conference with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides (not pictured), at the Chancellery Berlin, Germany, November 14, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman attend a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, November 13, 2025. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS

Overview

  • Christodoulides said Turkey cannot move closer to the European Union if it insists on a two-state outcome for Cyprus.
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he received a concrete proposal with interest and signaled readiness for Germany to take part during Cyprus's upcoming EU presidency.
  • President Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that a two-state arrangement is, in Turkey's view, the most realistic way to resolve the island's division.
  • New Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman asserted Turkish Cypriots' equal founding-partner status and sovereign rights while expressing readiness to engage in negotiations or practical cooperation.
  • Cyprus, divided since 1974 with talks stalled since 2017, remains split between the internationally recognized south and a north recognized only by Turkey.