Philenews

Cyprus: Turkey's Influence Remains a Key Obstacle to Resolution

Published January 20, 2026, 09:22
Cyprus: Turkey's Influence Remains a Key Obstacle to Resolution

Following the death of former President George Vassiliou, discussions about missed opportunities in the Cyprus issue have resurfaced. Despite different approaches, all Cypriot Presidents aimed to reach a solution, however, Turkey's maximalist policy hindered progress. The author emphasizes that mistakes were made by Nicosia, but Turkey remains the key factor determining the outcome of negotiations. According to Nikos Katsouridis, even if Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots reach an agreement, it will not be valid if Turkey does not accept it. Turkish Cypriot leaders, as journalist Sener Levent points out, never had real initiative at the negotiating table, as decisions were made in Ankara. Levent notes that even leaders considered pro-solution did not dare to act outside the will of Turkey. Today, Tufan Erhurman, as he points out, appears to be equally attached to Turkish policy, attacking the Greek Cypriot side and supporting the two-state solution. The author recalls that the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, had proposed a change in relations between Turkey and the “TRNC”, but Ankara immediately rejected the proposal, demonstrating its control.