
Rival leaders of split Cyprus make inroads to work together but rift remains
The rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus made some progress Wednesday on fostering trust between their conflict-riven Greek and Turkish speaking communities, agreeing to delve deeper into the dangers posed by minefields and working together on environmental initiatives.
But the two sides still have a long way to go to formally restart moribund peace talks, with both leaders alluding to the ongoing fundamental rift on the kind of a peace deal each side expects.
In a joint statement following the United Nations-hosted meeting, Ersin Tatar, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots and Nikos Christodoulides, the island's Greek Cypriot President, said they also agreed on restoring neglected cemeteries and setting up a joint group of young people from both sides of the divide to discuss issues relevant to them.
The measures echoed those the two leaders agreed to pursue in a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Geneva last month that aimed to breathe new life into a peace process on hiatus for nearly eight years. Guterres said he will appoint an envoy tasked with getting formal peace talks restarted.
The Mediterranean island was divided when Turkey invaded the northern part in 1974 following a failed coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and has more than 35,000 troops in the island's northern third.
Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is seated, enjoys full membership benefits.
There was no agreement Wednesday on two key trust-building initiatives: building solar energy parks inside sections of a 180 km (120 mile) long U.N. buffer zone cutting across the island, and adding to the nine existing crossing points along that dividing line.
Tatar said that he's hopeful 'in time we will be able to achieve' progress.
'My friend Nikos, he's got his own principles, I want our principles. What is important is to exchange and be positive so that we can achieve things together,' Tatar said.
Christodoulides suggested Tatar was using the issue of solar energy parks to promote his vision of a partitioned Cyprus. The leaders agreed to meet again later this month.
The leaders' remarks pointed to the wide gulf between how the two sides envision a future peace settlement.
Tatar and Turkey insist a two-state deal is now the only way to resolve one of the world's most intractable disputes since the 'old' model — a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones — is no longer viable after decades of failure.
Greek Cypriots say any deal that entrenches the island's partition is a non-starter as it contravenes long-held U.N. resolutions endorsing a federation.
They also reject a Turkish and Turkish Cypriot demand for a permanent Turkish troop presence and military intervention rights under any accord, as well as giving the minority Turkish Cypriots veto power over all federal-level government decisions.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The National
8 hours ago
- The National
Freedom Flotilla gives statement as Israel 'illegally seizes' Madleen
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition spoke through its Telegram channel after its ship the Madleen was captured by Israel. The 12 people on board – including Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Al Jazeera correspondent Omar Faiad – have been imprisoned. The Madleen had been sailing under a UK red ensign, meaning it was under UK jurisdiction in international waters, when Israel attacked it. The move has been described as a 'clear breach' of international law by the Turkish government, while the UK's has remained silent. READ MORE: UK Government sends spy plane over Gaza as Freedom Flotilla ship threatened by Israel The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: 'It's time for our governments to do their jobs and sanction Israel. Its illegal attack on 'Madleen' while sailing in international waters is a small extension of their war crimes in Gaza. 'Governments, institutions, media, and corporations must stop protecting Israel, now. They must stop prioritising profit over human lives, now. 'Protect our volunteers while protecting Palestinians in Gaza and wider Palestine.' On the abduction of MEP Hassan, the group said it was 'not only an attack on civilians, but a direct assault on international law, parliamentary immunity, and the principle of free humanitarian access'. It went on: 'Israel must be held accountable. The European Parliament must formally demand her immediate release and Israel's legal accountability. 'This interception is a direct result of the international community's ongoing failure to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes. Activists pictured on the Madleen, which was sailing under a UK flag (Image: Freedom Flotilla) 'A state currently on trial for genocide must not be allowed to dictate whether life-saving aid reaches the very people it stands accused of trying to destroy.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition pointed to the 2010 raid on their ships by the Israeli military, which also occurred in international waters and left 10 volunteers dead. The group said: 'No state has the authority to enforce an unlawful blockade, especially one whose primary purpose is to starve civilians and obstruct humanitarian relief. 'Israel's threats and attacks against peaceful ships like 'Madleen', carrying essential aid and international human rights defenders, are part of its broader pattern of impunity and disregard for international norms.' The unlawful seizure of the Madleen The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said of the boat seizure: 'At 3:02AM EEST, 110 nautical miles from Gaza, the 'Madleen' was illegally boarded by the IOF [Israel Occupation Forces] in international waters. 'Prior to their abduction, quadcopter drones flew in close range before attacking the 'Madleen' with a white chemical-like substance, harming their eyes. Signals were jammed, and disturbing audio was broadcast to interfere with communication over the radio system as the IOF boarded. 'Our volunteers were attacked and taken against their will while sailing lawfully toward Palestinian territorial waters, where Israel has no right to control. 'The 'Madleen' has reportedly been seized, and our aid, including baby formula, food, and medical supplies, has also been taken.' CCTV image shared by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (Image: FFC) Sharing security footage timestamped 2:02AM, the group added: 'This is the last moment that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition ground team saw their friends, comrades and family members while they were being illegally intercepted, boarded and abducted by the Israeli military. Their whereabouts remain unknown. 'At this time, we are urgently working to locate the 11 international volunteers and one journalist abducted from 'Madleen'. 'According to the Israeli Immigration Authority, they are not yet in its custody. FFC lawyers in occupied Palestine have repeatedly contacted Israeli military officials, but are yet to receive any response to inquiries since the early hours of the morning.' Who is on board the Madleen? There are twelve civilian crew members on board the ship, which is flying the UK flag. The crew members are: Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate and social justice activist Baptise Andre, French physician Omar Faiad, French journalist with Al Jazeera Reva Viard, French climate activist Rima Hassan, French member of the European parliament, representing La France Insoumise party Yanis Mhamdi, French journalist with independent media outlet Blast Pascal Maurieras, French activist Suayb Ordu, Turkish activist Marco van Rennes, Dutch marine engineering student Sergio Toribio, Spanish crew member, a member of marine conservation NGO Sea Shepherd Thiago Avila, Brazilian journalist, social activist and politician Yasemin Acar, German activist of Kurdish descent Israel's statements Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said the Madleen was being taken to the port of Ashdod, which is around 17 miles north of Gaza. Katz said: "I congratulate the IDF for the quick and safe takeover of the 'Madleen' flotilla to prevent them from breaking the blockade and reaching the shores of Gaza. "I instructed the IDF to show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre when they arrive at the port of Ashdod. "It is appropriate that the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself. "The IDF will continue its war against the Hamas murderers with all its moral righteousness until they are subdued, all the hostages are released, and the security of the State of Israel is ensured." Separately, Israel's foreign ministry called the boat a "selfie yacht' and claimed the "show is over". All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025 It went on: "While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. "There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies. Israel is preparing to hold the 12 unlawfully detained activists in separate cells in Givon Prison in Ramla, media in the country is reporting. The far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is said to have ordered officials to block the detainees from having any pro-Palestine symbols or access to any electronic communications equipment.


Reuters
11 hours ago
- Reuters
Breaking News Headlines Latest Views
China hit back hard against the president's tariffs while Britain's speedy deal favoured the US. The European Union cannot afford to antagonise Trump, in part because of Ukraine, but does not need to grovel. If it cannot strike a good accord quickly, it should play the long game.


The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Canada won't become the 51st US state – but could it join the EU?
Joachim Streit has never stepped foot in Canada. But that hasn't stopped the German politician from launching a tenacious, one-man campaign that he readily describes as 'aspirational': to have the North American country join the EU. 'We have to strengthen the European Union,' said Streit, who last year was elected as a member of the European parliament. 'And I think Canada – as its prime minister says – is the most European country outside of Europe.' Streit had long imagined Canada as a sort of paradise, home to dense forests that course with wide, rushing rivers. But after Donald Trump returned to power, launching much of the world into a trade war and turning his back on America's traditional allies, Streit began to cast the northern country in a new light. What he saw was a relatively unexplored relationship, one that could prove mutually beneficial as the world grapples with rapidly reshaping global dynamics. 'Canadians have seen their trust in the US undermined, just as we have in Europe, following President Trump's actions,' he said. 'We need to strengthen the ties that bind us to our friends.' While he admitted that the possibility of Canada as a full member of the EU 'may be aspirational for now', he wondered if it was an idea whose time had come. 'Canada would be a strong member,' he said. 'If Canada would be a member of the EU, it would rank 4th in terms of GDP. It's part of Nato. And 58% of (working-age) Canadians have college degrees.' Canada also has vast energy reserves – an asset that could prove useful to the bloc, which is still struggling to wean itself off Russian gas, he added. Since launching his campaign last month, Streit has become the most visible proponent of an unlikely proposition that has been gaining traction since Trump began floating the idea of Canada as the 51st state. In late January, a former foreign minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, called for Canada to be invited into the EU. 'They are more European than some European member states anyway,' he told Germany's Pioneer Media. Media outlets on both sides of the Atlantic have delved into the idea, while a February poll of 1,500 Canadians found 44% of them believed Canada should look into joining the EU. In March, however, a European spokesperson appeared to pour cold water on the suggestion, citing an article in the EU treaty that specifies only European states can apply to join the EU. Streit brushed off the technicality, pointing to France's overseas territories. 'Those are also not in Europe, but those islands belong to the European Union,' he said. Cyprus, considered EU territory but located geographically in west Asia, was another example. And if one wanted to get technical, Canada was – albeit in a minuscule way – connected geographically to Europe, he said. 'Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, shares a border with Canada,' he said, pointing to the divide that runs through the uninhabited half-mile square Hans Island. In April, Streit submitted a written question to the European parliament, asking whether the treaty article stipulating that states must be European could be interpreted in a way that could allow for Canadian membership or, barring that, if it could be legally revised. He has yet to receive a response. Undaunted, he sent a letter to two EU commissioners calling for a sort of political Erasmus to be launched between the bloc and Canada. What he envisions is a professional exchange programme that would allow EU officials to better grasp the nuances of Canadian federalism and Canadians to get a sense of the workings of European institutions. 'It would serve as both a symbolic and practical step toward deeper integration,' he said, one that could build on existing ties such as the EU-Canada trade deal and Canada's participation in the EU's flagship science research programme, Horizon. Since launching the campaign, he's been in constant contact with Canadians; meeting twice with one of Canada's high-ranking envoys to the EU and meeting with a Brussels-based association that promotes Canada-EU trade. As news spreads of his efforts, his office has received a handful of emails of support. Some have offered up their own thoughts on how to skirt around Canada's geographic location; one recent email laid out what the writer described as a 'killer argument', pointing out that as part of the Commonwealth Canada was tied to the UK and, by extension, Europe. Streit took it one step further. 'And who is the head of Canada?' he asked, pointing to King Charles. 'And he's a European.' Streit said he was well aware that, for all his efforts, the idea may prove to be impossible. Even so, he hoped that the moment could be seized on to at least hammer out the kind of deep ties the bloc has with countries such as Norway or Switzerland. 'Sometimes in history, the windows of opportunity open and close again,' he said. 'And sometimes, the windows of opportunity are open only for a brief moment.'