Overview

• Erdogan publicly backed a formal two-state solution for Cyprus and urged the world to accept the island’s division as reality.
• He rejected any renewed UN-mediated reunification talks and used his anniversary address to call for lifting the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres described recent New York talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot envoys as constructive but said border crossing issues remain unresolved.
• The Republic of Cyprus is advancing its NATO membership bid despite Turkish objections, highlighting ongoing tensions over its security orientation.
• Since 1974, the island has been split by a UN-monitored buffer zone through Nicosia, with the south in the EU and a Turkey-backed north recognized only by Ankara.