Christodoulides and Erhurman agree to open two new Cyprus crossing points

Two crossing points to open together

Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman agreed on Monday, 9 November, to open two new crossing points on the divided island. The points are Louroutzina-Lymbia and Kampos-Karavostasi, and the UN said both will start operating at the same time. No timetable has been announced for when the crossings will open. The leaders also agreed to coordinate their responses to emergencies and to exchange archival material. Cypriot media put the number of open crossing points on the island at 11 once the new ones open.

A four-hour meeting under UN auspices

The meeting took place in a UN-protected buffer zone in Nicosia and lasted about four hours. It was held under the auspices of the UN personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín. The UN described the talks as positive and said they covered practical cooperation as well as the methodology and substance of the Cyprus issue. The two sides have disagreed over the basic rules for talks since they met UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the island last summer. The UN statement said the two leaders will meet again in the coming weeks, with Guterres present.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Christodoulides set a deadline for resuming the talks.

“We continue this effort with absolute seriousness and with one single goal: resuming the talks before the end of the term of the Secretary-General.”

He tied that deadline to the end of the year.

Confidence-building measures

Beyond the crossings, the leaders agreed to restart the Imagine educational programme, which aims to strengthen peace, cooperation and mutual understanding between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. According to the UN statement, the programme will operate under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education. The leaders also agreed to exchange archival material through the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and to advance joint environmental projects through the Technical Committee on Environment. Restoration work on Maronite churches and an Armenian monastery is also set to proceed. The restart is presented as part of wider efforts to improve communication and cooperation between the two communities.

Why earlier talks failed

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey's invasion in 1974, which was a response to a short coup organised by the then military leadership of Greece. A power-sharing government between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots collapsed in 1963. Since then a UN peacekeeping force, one of the oldest in the world, has monitored the 180-kilometre ceasefire line that separates the two sides. One reason earlier negotiations collapsed is disagreement over Turkey's future role. Greek Cypriots oppose any direct involvement by Ankara, while Turkish Cypriots consider it necessary.

What happens next

The UN has not announced when the new crossings will open. The next meeting between the two leaders and Guterres is due in the coming weeks, and the articles give no exact date for it. Christodoulides has set the goal of restarting talks before the Secretary-General's term ends, which he tied to the end of the year.