UN Spokesperson Siddique: A New Period of Hope Is Emerging in Cyprus

Speaking to BBC Turkish at his office in Nicosia, Siddique said, “Everyone I’ve spoken to, both in the north and the south, is very pleased,” adding that “everyone wants a negotiated solution — and that means opportunity.”

Siddique said UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ envoy to Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, will soon return to the island to meet with both leaders, before preparing an informal meeting with Guterres, the two sides, and the guarantor powers — Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom. “We hope this meeting will take place before the end of the year,” he added.

He recalled that similar meetings organised by the UN in Geneva and New York in 2025 had failed to achieve progress, with former leader Ersin Tatar’s delegation withdrawing support for a federation-based model and instead proposing a “two-state solution.”

Erhürman’s approach, by contrast, is based on a federation built on equality and inclusiveness.

Siddique described the 1 November meeting between Erhürman and UNFICYP Head of Mission Colin Stewart’s deputy Khassim Diagne as “very constructive,” saying Erhürman’s election “opened a new window for dialogue,” but also “placed responsibility on both sides.”

He acknowledged that optimism has surfaced many times before without producing results, noting that people are therefore “cautiously hopeful” this time.

“Peace in Cyprus will not come simply through top-down orders,” Siddique stressed. “It will depend on human connections — especially among young people and women.” He expressed hope that joint bicommunal activities in the coming weeks and months would strengthen peace and stability and “breathe new life into the political process.”

Addressing criticism that Cyprus has become a “cemetery of diplomacy,” Siddique said, “The truth is, despite the efforts of many envoys over the years, the problem remains unresolved. The UN force here plays a vital role in maintaining peace and stability and preventing escalation on both sides. Many forget that there are thousands of Turkish soldiers in the north and thousands of National Guardsmen in the south.”

He underlined that UN peacekeepers patrol the buffer zone daily, “defusing small incidents before they escalate into international crises.” Without the UN presence, he warned, “the risk of minor incidents leading back to conflict would be very high.”

Siddique concluded, “We are not here because we want to be here for sixty years — we are here because we are needed. The only reason we haven’t left is that the Cyprus problem remains unresolved. Yes, for years this place was seen as a graveyard for diplomats — but not anymore. Now, a new period of hope is emerging. We see that progress is possible on both sides, and as the United Nations, we are committed to facilitating that process.”