In the early hours of Thursday, July 17, a high-level dinner hosted by the UN Secretary-General brought together key political figures to discuss the ongoing Cyprus issue and broader regional concerns. The meeting was attended by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, as well as the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey, Giorgos Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan. Also present was Stephen Doughty, the UK’s Minister for Europe, Africa, and the Overseas Territories.
Following the dinner, Christodoulides and Fidan held a private meeting lasting around an hour. According to reports from Greece’s public broadcaster ERT, the conversation primarily focused on EU-Turkey relations — an area of increasing interest for Ankara, which is keen to see progress.
From the Cypriot side, it was reiterated that Nicosia supports the advancement of these relations, but under the condition that Turkey fulfills its existing obligations and takes substantive steps toward resolving the Cyprus issue within the framework established by the UN Security Council.
Earlier on Wednesday, Christodoulides had held a bilateral meeting with Greece’s foreign minister, while a meeting with Stephen Doughty was scheduled for Thursday. These discussions are part of a broader diplomatic effort surrounding the multilateral engagement.
The second day of the five-party talks is expected to center on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), particularly reviewing progress since the Geneva meeting in March and exploring the possibility of new initiatives. During the dinner, Ersin Tatar indicated he would bring forward proposals aimed at easing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan outlined Ankara’s position ahead of the second day’s discussions. He emphasized Turkey’s approach as one grounded in mutual benefit, reiterating the principle of a “win-win” strategy. He stressed Turkey’s sensitivity to the perspectives of all sides but warned against any outcome that disregards Turkish interests and rights.
Fidan also noted that Turkey arrived at the meeting with a set of proposals, aiming to evaluate the implementation of decisions made in previous rounds and to explore new agreements that could be reached during the current talks.
