Cyprus stated on Friday that Turkey must abandon its determination on a two-state solution for the divided island if it seeks to advance its stalled EU accession bid, according to Reuters.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides labeled Ankara’s stance on Cyprus as a major barrier to its ambitions of joining the European Union.
During his talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Christodoulides argued that Turkey should nor secure access to the EU’s defense fund, SAFE, because Ankara holds no formal defense or security agreement with the bloc even if it is a NATO member.
Meanwhile, Merz noted that Christodoulides had appealed for Germany’s support in efforts to break the deadlock over Cyprus, while stressing Berlin’s strong relationship with Ankara.
“We discussed various options for how this could be achieved,” Merz told a joint press conference.
In January 2026, Cyprus will assume the EU’s rotating presidency. Turkey has been an EU candidate for decades. Both countries do not have diplomatic relations.
Notably, Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when a brief Greece-backed coup led to a Turkish military intervention. The island is now split between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north recognized only by Ankara.
On Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that a two-state settlement is still the most viable solution to the Cyprus issue. However, Greek Cypriots have firmly rejected this approach.
“If Mr Erdogan insists on two states in Cyprus, certainly Turkey cannot get close to the EU,” Christodoulides said.
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