Guterres says Cyprus solution is crucial as regional tensions rise

Antonio Guterres visited Cyprus and met rival leaders to explore restarting peace talks. He said reunification is vital for regional stability as Middle East tensions sharpen the island's strategic risks.Image used for representational purposes onlyUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that resolving Cyprus' ethnic division is "absolutely crucial" for stability in a region marked by persistent conflicts and the risk of escalation. He made the remarks during a rare two-day visit to the island aimed at underlining his commitment to reviving stalled peace talks.Cyprus has remained divided for 52 years, with a UN-controlled buffer zone separating Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south. Guterres said he was prepared to convene a meeting of the 5-plus-1 group in the hope of restarting full peace talks, but added that more groundwork was needed to improve the chances of success.Speaking after meeting the island's rival leaders, Guterres said, "I do believe that a solution in Cyprus is absolutely crucial, not only to preserve the interests and the peace of the Cyprus people, but also as a factor of stability in what is becoming a dangerously unstable region." The proposed 5-plus-1 format would include Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the foreign ministers of Greece, Turkiye and Britain, along with the UN secretary-general.Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkiye invaded after a coup backed by the then military junta in Athens, whose supporters wanted union with Greece. Nearly a decade later, Turkish Cypriots declared independence, but only Turkiye recognises it and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north. Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the south, where the internationally recognised government is based, enjoys the full benefits of membership. The island's location has added to the urgency around the issue. Cyprus lies 207 kilometres from Lebanon and about 340 kilometres from Israel, and in recent years it has used that proximity to position itself as the European Union's gateway to the Middle East while building closer ties with several countries, especially Israel in energy and defence. But that proximity also brought risks last March, when a Shaheed drone that officials said was launched from Lebanon hit an aircraft hangar at a British air base on the island's southern coast. Cyprus is also a point of tension between Turkiye and Israel, which views Turkish military installations on the island with suspicion. Earlier this month, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz warned the Cypriot government against using its EU membership and closer ties with Israel to extract concessions from Ankara.There is still no guarantee of a breakthrough. A UN-backed framework envisages a federal Cyprus made up of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones, but Turkiye continues to push for a two-state arrangement that would give international recognition to the breakaway Turkish Cypriots. Turkish Cypriots say the Greek Cypriot majority does not want to share power equally at all levels of government, while Greek Cypriots reject a two-state deal as formal partition and also oppose demands for a permanent Turkish military presence and intervention rights for Ankara. Guterres' visit has again put the focus on efforts to restart talks, even as the long-running division remains unresolved. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 29, 2026 19:38 IST